


This Legacy of Mine

by serrine



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Eventual Kylo/OC, Expect slow updates, F/M, I'm a full-time college student, Slow Build, This plot bunny has been developing for over a year, This will be a long ass fic, Time to finally get it out, breaks are my life, slower burn, writing a Mary Sue scares the shit out of me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2017-10-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 18:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 22,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8907472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serrine/pseuds/serrine
Summary: A legend's prodigy, who embraced the darkness. A humble girl, lost and trying to find purpose. A universe at war, daring them forward. One convinced, the other uncertain.





	1. Prologue

**_Yavin 4_ **

**_Outer Rim_ _Territories_**

**_19 ABY_ **

 

He felt vulnerable. Exposed. Weak.

Everything around him seemed to move in slow motion. He could feel the Force rushing through him still, even in his emasculated state. He could feel the struggle. The pull to the light. His need to remain in the darkness; to fulfill something he so desperately yearned for: his legacy.

A reason for his existence; justification to his rationale. The answers brought forth by a mysterious leader, one who promised him a role in destiny. A bringer of change for the better good of the galaxy. A universe where the wrongs could be set right. His existence, the key. His power, the catalyst.

Yet it seemed, the light would forever haunt him like a seed of poison in his mind. It was sown into his very being and it felt as if it were something he could never escape. Yet he tried. He tried to condemn it. To forget it. The mysterious man had told him this would be his undoing, that he must destroy it. But for all his mediations, he couldn’t. He had reasoned that it was difficult to do so without the suspicions of his master. His master, his uncle, his own blood. He who doubted him; who never trusted him; never gave him a chance. He could sense it through the Force. His hesitation. His fear. Those same feelings he once heard in his father’s voice. The same ones he had seen in his mother’s eyes.

Focusing his thoughts, he became aware he wasn’t alone in his mediation.

Someone was with him. But their presence confirmed them as a stranger. It wasn’t his new dark master calling to him again. This was something else entirely. He felt the light grow stronger around him, suffocating him, infuriating him. A silhouette appeared in his mind, taking form, yet blurry.

Realization hit him as he felt a sudden familiarity. He had been here before. Wherever this was, whatever he was feeling, whomever the person taking shape in front of him, he had seen it. Felt it. Like a long forgotten dream.

He focused further, pushing for clarity, but he was met with an unyielding resistance. The person remained out-of-focus. He called out to them with his mind.

_Who are you?_

He was surprised to hear a reply but was annoyed to find it as unidentifiable as their appearance. The voice was muddled and horribly distorted. He could not identify its language, gender, or species. He reached further, his mind straining. He pushed, yet something pushed back with an equal force as if this being didn’t want to be discovered. His weakness angered him. He felt his fury intensify his force. The silhouette became clearer. He could see long hair. Brown? He couldn’t tell if it was real or his imagination. He could see the being was like himself: human.

 _Who are you?_ He asked again, his mind’s voice demanding.

No reply came this time.

_I said, who are —_

“Hey, Ben,” a voice called to him, abruptly ending his mediation.

“What is it, Hulei?” annoyance shadowed his voice.

“Sorry to interrupt, but Master Luke wants to start a lesson. We’re waiting for you.”

Ben gave a sigh of frustration. His investigation of the stranger would have to wait. He stood up, his long legs giving him an intimidating height for a fifteen-year-old. He turned around to face his interrupter: a Twi’lek boy, two years older yet a head shorter. His green skin blended in with the foliage around them.

They made their way through the dense jungle back to the temple. The triangular ziggurat-form of an ancient stone temple rose into view as they made their way into the large clearing. The old temple appeared to be made of stone from the outside, but inside it had been almost completely renovated. Most of the walls were now fitted with metal, the floor no longer dirt but poured ferrocrete.

These renovations served as a reminder of its once occupation by the Rebel Alliance. Evidence lingered throughout the temple: the scuffs on the walls and floors, the once bustling war room, now a training and storage area, the underground hangars long forgotten, the catacombs beneath them even more so.

The old lift groaned as the Ben and Hulei switched it on, cranking the lever up. The air moved around them as the open-air elevator ascended, surprisingly fast for its age. The maintenance droids had recently made repairs on the cords, restoring the lift to its original speed.

Jolting to a halt they got out and were met with the rest of the students and their master in a large, open space. The top floor of the temple: The Grand Audience Chamber. It was here that Ben’s mother gave his father, uncle, and the others their medals of honor after the heroic Battle of Yavin when the first Death Star was destroyed. Now it was a teaching chamber. The thirty-seven students had more than enough room to occupy the space.

At the end of the worn stone chamber, his Master sat, waiting. Luke gave Ben a familiar look. A look of doubt; a look of suspicion. Ben had taken to meditating by himself in the jungle the last few months, away from prying eyes. His master’s intuitions weren’t wrong and his suspicions valid, only Luke didn’t know that. That in a sense he was no longer a master to Ben. The rift between them had grown more steadily over the years and recently it had become impossible to breach. A divide that split them. Luke didn’t know how far his uncertainties with Ben had damaged their relationship. How soon it would come to haunt him…

Luke broke their gaze to sweep across the room, his pupils patiently waiting.

“Now that we are all here, let us begin.”

 

* * *

 

 

Ben was deep in meditation. He had been trying to reconnect with the mysterious stranger for over a week now. After telling his new master about his experience, he was told to focus on this and find out who it was. As powerful as Ben was, dreams and visions weren’t to be taken lightly. This person could be a key ally… or an enemy. It was his responsibility to discover their identity.

A soft sound caused him to lose trance. He puffed out an exasperated sigh.

_Who was it now?_

He turned to see a young girl, around the age of four sitting behind him, mimicking his meditation pose, her eyes closed. He felt his annoyance wane.

“What are you doing out here? Aren’t you suppose to helping Master Luke by doing your chores?”

The girl opened one hazel eye as she shrugged, frowning, “I don’t want to right now. I want to mediate with you.”

Ben felt himself smirk. She was just as bad as he once was…

“Well… fine. The first step is getting your posture and breathing right. But you already know that. Do you feel at ease?”

“Yes,” the girl squeaked.

“Right. Now focus.”

“On what?”

“Anything.”

The girl gave a huge exhale, “that’s so hard though! I can’t pick one thing.”

 _So full of energy as always…_ Ben thought.

“Focus on the energy you feel around you.”

They both corrected themselves, moving back into form.

“Do you feel the pulse of life in the jungle?” Ben asked the girl.

“Yes…”

“Look deeper. Feel the energy of the jungle around you. Let it guide you…”

And then there was silence. _Finally._

Ben again reached out. He felt the Force’s energy move through him and soon after he felt disorientated. Opening his eyes he found himself in a familiar setting. It was still out of focus. It was bright. He could hear the movement of many people in the distance. Talking. A cheer. They were celebrating…

A figured moved before him. Only this time, they were in focus, as if they were standing next to each other. The face of a young woman with long brown hair. Her light eyes had a look of apprehension as she studied his face, she stood as if on edge.

Ben opened his mouth to speak but was cut short. As quickly as the vision had returned, it vanished. Ben tried desperately to hold onto it. He had to find out more. Who was she? What was her purpose? His Master would want more than a face; he had to find out more.

_Come on, come on. Focus!_

“I can’t do this! I just can’t. I’ll never be able to do it,” the young girl’s voice brought him back to the present.

Ben took a moment to regain his thoughts. He stood up and looked down at her as she stood up to join him.

“Yes, you will. You have to have practice. Now go do your chores, Rey.”

Rey frowned but gave in.

“Okay,” she gave his leg a hug before rushing away.

“Bye, Ben!”

 

* * *

 

Ben jerked awake. The others around him were steadily sleeping, their breathing soft.

Trying to steady his own breath, he threw off his light-weight blanket, his body damp with sweat. He quietly got up, grabbing his boots and heading out of the room. He made his way down the worn steps to the main level, heading outside. The moon was high, the night quiet, the air heavy with moisture. The wet season was about to start. He sat down at the base of the entrance, trying to unscramble his racing mind.

His new master, Snoke, had come again to him in his dreams. The plan was set. It would be carried out a week from now. Ben felt nauseous, so sick he felt he could barely breathe. He didn’t know if he could do it. He didn’t let Snoke know this, though he suspected that his master was aware of this conflict.

Ben had always felt himself to possess a great destiny, but was this truly how he would fulfill it? By betraying his peers? His family?

His wise new master had reassured him that this was the way. That they weren’t his friends, they weren’t his family. They were holding him back from realizing his potential. Was it not his own father and mother who had never seemed to have enough time for him, as if he was nothing but a burden? His father who looked at him as if he could explode at any minute. Who went on jobs so frequently, he would be gone for months at a time. His mother, too busy in politics to actually be present, letting droids and friends raise and teach him. His own mother, who, even as she defended him, gave up, giving him to his uncle “to learn”. His uncle, who never fully trusted him. Who always ignored the good and focused on the bad.

Perhaps he was destined for this, his family’s reasoning for him as a time bomb correct. They never loved him. They never will. Nothing but empty words of affection. He didn’t need them. He would prove them all wrong. They hid his heritage from him. His _birthright_. Out of fear. Out of cowardice. Out of cruel irrational judgment. A judgment Ben had felt all his life. But his new master had shown him his destiny. That he could finish the work that his grandfather had started. A man who could bring order to a galaxy in chaos. A man with ambition, with purpose, with power.

Ben clenched his hands into fists as he felt his power rising. This was his destiny and his alone. His family had betrayed him. They pushed him to the edge… and now he would jump.

 

* * *

 

 

Ben stared at the ceiling, waiting for sleep to come. Luke had noticed Ben’s distance, saw the deep bags under his eyes, the burns on his hands from clumsy training. He had approached him earlier that evening.

_“Is everything alright, Ben? Is something troubling you?”_

_“Not at all.”_

Luke had just stared at him. Assessing. Trying to figure him out. Luke would never reach into his mind. That was the way of the Jedi: to respect that boundary. Ben remembered seeing the conflict in his eyes.

_“Alright.”_

He had walked away. Dismissed Ben like he always had. Never wanting to get close. He taught his students that fear was a natural reaction but that it must be controlled or else it had the potential to control you, bringing you closer to the dark side. Ben could feel his fear, as faint as it was. As it had always been.

He couldn’t sleep. It was only three days away. He felt his insides clench. The ball of nerves that had steadily grown since Snoke had told him the plan. Every time he closed his eyes he heard Snoke’s voice. Trying to reach him. To reassure him that this was the way. To silence his conflicting thoughts. His weakness.

In the beginning, when Snoke had first contacted him, it was in his dreams. As a young boy, Ben thought them to be nightmares. They held such darkness. It terrified him. His mother would bring him to her bed and soothe him back to sleep, silencing the voice. As the voice grew stronger and more frequent, invading his conscious hours, he felt helpless. Helpless to stop it. To stop what the voice was turning him into. The awful things it had said. He couldn’t sleep. He’s couldn’t find peace. Snoke haunted his days; his very being. His mother didn’t understand. She told him that nightmares are common for children. That it was simply a manifestation of some fear he held in reality. But this felt too real. He felt violated. He felt as if he couldn’t trust himself, slipping into a darkness he could never escape.

Then the voice told him secrets. Things his family kept from him. That they were jealous of his potential and that they wanted to hide it from him. His own ancestry, concealed from him. Treated like a black stain that was never to be spoken of. The voice had shown him true meaning, accepted him for who he was, and sought to help him seek his heart’s desires: to belong; to grow; to control. These desires his family would never understand for they thought themselves too high up to possibly understand his desperation to belong, to contribute to history, and live up to the universe’s expectations of him.

So he listened to the voice. Listened to his new master who would show him the way. The darkness grew in his mind and he had let it. Let it slowly spread. But the light that was always there nagged at him. Tapping, incessantly tapping, to let him know it was still there. He tried to stop it, but even with the training from Snoke, even when he thought he had defeated it, he could feel it creeping back. In turn, Snoke would show him the power of the dark side, temporarily banishing the light.

His family saw what he could become, that the voice was real and a threat. That Snoke had taken their child when they had turned a blind eye. It was their own vault. For not believing in him. But he believed in himself, in his destiny, and that he alone could pave his path.

He felt his mind reach stillness once more finding peace in his resolve. He let his eyes drift shut, his mind emptying into a void. He felt a presence… only it wasn’t his master again. It was calming. It felt warm. Like his mother’s hugs once were when he was a small boy. As he felt himself finally sinking into sleep, he heard a voice. A stranger’s voice. It called to him, though he couldn’t make it out. He felt himself slip from consciousness moments later.

 

* * *

 

Ben felt heavy. Weighed down by his new robes, the rain that drenched them making them even more burdensome. He felt like a stranger in his own body. This stranger was to be his future. The helmet on his head made the world darker. He felt more alone than ever.

“We follow this path to the temple. They will be there. Leave the master to me,” as he spoke he heard the strange mechanical crackle that distorted his voice through the helmet. It was foreign. Cold. Inhuman.

The temple was quiet as they made their way in. The sound of the downpour outside echoed on the chamber walls. Ben lead them upstairs, to the upper floors, where the oldest students slept. They would put up the most fight. As the doors swung open to the sleeping quarters, he powered on his lightsaber. Not the one from the academy.

This lightsaber, a damaged, unstable crystal that glowed red, was held together by a crudely constructed hilt. Snoke had the crystal stowed away for safe keeping. He taught Ben how to construct the saber; an ancient design of the sith. It had taken Ben many months to secretly find the right pieces, melt them down, and mold them together. The vents that he installed helped stabilize the weapon, creating a cross guard in the process. Ben had burned himself numerous times while self-training with the new lightsaber that he had to purposely make sure his hands got burned in training to stop any questions forming from suspicious burns. The ominous, unsteady hum of the weapon filled the chamber. Some woke up immediately. A few grabbed their sabers, yelling for the others to awaken.

“You stay with me,” he gestured to his fellow knight. He turned to the rest, “you, take the others and go to the lower floors. If any run out of the temple, hunt them down. You know your orders.”

Ben turned and swung his saber as one of his peers engaged him. He could feel his power pulsing through him as strongly as the blade he wielded. He could feel the intensity of the cross blade’s heat beneath his gloves. He quickly disarmed the boy, dispatching him easily. It took only minutes for half of the students to fall.

“C’mon!” he heard a yell behind him, “We have to protect the younglings!”

A group of students were running out the door, heading to the lower floors. Ben turned, addressing the knight beside him, “Go. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He was left with a group of three students, all with their blades at the ready. They rushed him. They spun as their sabers hit with a crackle, the students working together to attack him on all sides. It was a method they had studied in group training; Ben anticipated their moves, countering them lazily. He drove one boy back, the boy tripping over a fallen body. No faster had the boy stumbled he was quickly cut down. The other two pushed harder. Desperation and anger fueling them. The three blades were hitting each other with a fervor that burned as hot as their sabers. One blocked too openly and that was the end. Ben turned to face the last student. They stopped and stared at one another. Ben could feel the fear that flooded the boy in front of him. He tried in vain to look determined.

“So brave…” Ben mocked.

“Aagh!” The boy ran straight at him, his frustration and anger blinding him, making him vulnerable.

All it took was a swing to disarm him, taking his arm off. The boy screamed in pain dropping to his knees. One quick blow and he lay down beside the others. The chamber was plunged into silence. In the distance, he could hear screaming. Chaos had unfolded.

With one last look, Ben stormed out of the chamber, making his way down the hall, to where Luke would be. He burned through the door, breaking it apart. The room was empty. He wasn’t here. Ben yelled in frustration as he turned to make his way to the lower floors.

“Stop! Don’t move!”

Ben smiled through his mask. He turned to face Luke, whose lightsaber hummed as he held it en guard.

“I demand you call off the attack. You’re their leader, aren’t you.”

“Yes.” For the third time that night Ben felt his power grow stronger as he let his hate overtake him.

“Call off the attack,” Luke demanded again.

Ben swung his lightsaber across his body, rooting his stance.

His uncle steadied his saber.

They circled, sizing each other up. Luke brought his saber up first, bouncing it off of Ben’s counter, sending a shower of sparks tumbling around them. Ben feigned left and jabbed right but Luke easily spun out of the way, bringing his lightsaber down. Ben ducked to the left, bringing his saber up as Luke jumped back and swung his saber wide, perpendicular to his body. Ben angled his saber down with a block.

Luke edged back against the wall as Ben aimed a blow sideways. Luke ducked, rolling out of the way before turning back.

“You fight better than I would have guessed for someone untrained.” Luke jabbed.

“I am trained. More than you ever realized.”

Ben watched as his uncle struggled to grasp the meaning behind his words but was cut short as Ben brought his saber up. Luke’s saber met Ben’s, the blades connecting. Each pushed against the other, the heat of the blades radiating, their combined light reflecting off Ben’s mask.

“Do you hear their screams? You’ve failed them. You’ve failed them all.” Ben spat through the mask.

“Who… are you?” Luke grunted, struggling.

“I’m what you’ve always feared. You pushed me away. You all did. And now I’ll become even more powerful than you.”

Luke narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out who was under the mask. Ben could feel him reaching out in the Force, trying to search for recognition. Ben let him through. Letting him feel what he felt. Betrayal. Confusion. Misery. Anger. Uncontrollable anger. The power of the dark side. Under all the emotion Luke felt Ben’s familiar presence. Ben watched as his uncle’s face dropped.

“What have you done…?” Ben felt his uncle’s force behind his saber fade slightly.

“It hurts, doesn’t it? To be betrayed by your own family,” Ben whispered, his voice quivering, “ _by your own blood._ ”

Luke grimaced and pushed Ben away roughly, his lightsaber hanging at his side. He shook his head in disbelief.

“How could you? You led these murderers into our temple, into our home, to attack—“

“This isn’t my home!” his mechanical voice rung out in the empty corridor, “It never was… And I killed them. _Slaughtered_ them.”

Luke face shattered. He closed his eyes briefly, taking in a breath.

“What have you become, Ben?”

“What you, my father, and my mother, never let me be. This is my potential. My future. My destiny.”

His uncle stared up at him, still at a loss, before whispering, “you’re going to kill me then, yes?”

Ben chuckled, “No. Not yet. I want you to see what you’ve done. I want you to feel what I’ve felt. To be betrayed. To be utterly alone,” Ben slowly walked towards him, pointing his lightsaber at Luke, “with no one to blame but yourself.”

Luke started forward but Ben Force-pushed him back into the wall. There was audible _crack_ as his head made contact with the wall behind him. He collapsed as Ben crouched down. He reached into his old master’s mind, searching, for the last one. He’d known that as soon as his uncle had figured out what was happening, he’d hide her.

Luke stirred again and quickly shut his mind, but it was too late. Ben had seen her location. Pocketing Luke’s saber he turned to the other knights that had gathered in the corridor. The temple now eerily silent.

“Sweep the entire temple. Check everyone. Grab every lightsaber. I’ve told you where the extras are being stored. Gather them and put them on board. Then give one final sweep to check for survivors.”

The knights nodded in unison before dispersing.

“Those men…” Luke’s pitiful voice sounded behind him, weary and soft, “won’t ever accept you. They’ll only fear you.”

“Those men will follow me!” Ben bent back down, his helmet inches from Luke’s face, “I am the Master of the Knights of Ren.”

“Ben, please… This isn’t you. Remember your training… the light…”

“The light means nothing to me. It never has. It was never my true calling.”

“That… That’s not true. Your mother and I could sense—“

“You and my mother were always afraid. Afraid of what I could become. Funny, that you were right.”

“Ben—“

“Goodbye, my old master,” Ben said as he slammed Luke’s head back against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

 

* * *

 

He could sense it. The fear. It was overpowering. The silence around him suggested he was alone, but he could sense another. Luke had taken her to catacombs beneath the earth. The red light of his saber guided him through the narrow passageways. The walls oozed with water, the air heavy and damp. Even though his helmet he could smell the strong stench of mildew.

Turning a corner he reached another dead end, only this time he had found his target. Pressed against the corner, she opened her mouth in a silent scream, her eyes filled with terror. Ben held his lightsaber at his side, the hum of it echoing against the stone. Rey kept darting her eyes between his helmet and his lightsaber. He swung his arm up, the saber hissing as drops of water fell upon it, the sound of it cutting through the air, Rey screamed, closing her eyes.

She opened them after a moment, the serrated edge of the blade inches from her face. She looked up at him and he at her. They stood in silence for what seemed an eternity.

He couldn’t do it.

And it angered him. Snoke had been right. He was weak. He needed — no had to — kill this girl in front of him. This would be his old master’s undoing. It would forever haunt him. All he had to do was swing the blade one last time… and it would be over. He could move on.

But the small child before him, crouched and terrified, was filled with light. He’d know it all along. And he’d let her in. Very cautiously, but more than anyone else. He let himself get close to her even after Snoke had told him, warned him, not to. That this girl would be his weakness. That his family would be his downfall. He was so blinded by hate for the rest of them that he had forgotten to turn his back on the youngest of them. His cousin. The only one who showed him sincere love; who would be heartbroken if she knew who was really under the mask.

He lowered his saber, his mind racing. He knew what he had to do.

“Come. Follow me. Now.”

 

* * *

 

The old hangar of the Rebel base was long abandoned. It did however still house a few ships. An old battered X-Wing and a few small cargo freighters. Ben made his way unto the better looking one out of the group of old freighters. The inside was covered thick with dust.

“Get in the chair and strap in.”

“No.”

Ben turned around, thankful his helmet masked his surprise.

“Where’s my father? Where are the others?”

“Your father is gone. And so are the others. You’re alone and helpless and will do as I say.”

The girl moved, fast, darting off the ship. Ben turned and ran after her. He caught her in a corner, his lightsaber pointed at her chest, Tears were streaming down her face.

“This is for your own good.”

With a wave of his hand, she fell to the floor, unconscious.

After strapping her in, Ben started up the freighter. Sure enough, it hummed to life. He accessed the auto-pilot, punching in a set of coordinates. A light blinked, signaling take-off. He looked over to the passenger seat where his cousin sat unconscious. He didn’t know if this would work if he could save her. But this was the only way he could without revealing to his new master what he had done… or what he had failed to do. This was the only way she could survive undetected. He pressed the button to close the hatch as he felt the craft slowly lift. With one last glance at Rey, he leaped from the craft, a soft thud sounded as he hit the ferrocrete below him. He held up a hand, reaching, using the Force, focusing on the lever that opened the launch bay doors. They creaked open, years of debris falling as they did so. Ben watched as the freighter rose higher before it slowly ascended into the night.

 

* * *

 

“Sir, we’ve recovered all the artifacts. They are on board and we are ready to depart,” The Knight’s muffled voice spoke to Ben as he stood outside the temple, the rain still falling heavily around them. The ground around him was littered with bodies, the sickening smell of damp earth mixed with the sharp tang of blood. He tried his best to keep his eyes trained on the sky.

Just then, movement caught their attention. They all looked up as an old freighter ship made its way into the atmosphere.

“It seems they had a ship…” Ben thought out loud before turning to his men, “Go. Return to the Master. I will take care of this.”

He didn’t give them time to respond before rushing back towards the hangar.

 

* * *

 

The old X-Wing rumbled and vibrated around him. He accelerated and quickly shot out of the hangar and up into the sky. He saw the freighter ahead pass through the atmosphere. Ben felt the pressure building. An alarm sounded. He frantically looked at the controls. He may have learned a thing or two about ships and their workings from his early days with his father, and he flipped a switch. The hull instantly regained a stable pressure and with a jolt, he broke the atmosphere, just in time to watch the freighter go to light speed. He set his own course and the stars around him become nothing but blurs as he launched to light speed.

 

* * *

 

**_Jakku_ **

**_Western Reaches_ **

**_Inner Rim_ **

 

A short while later he dropped out of light speed. The desolate planet he had thought of appeared. Following the trajectory path, he entered the planet’s atmosphere. The advantage of a desert world was that he could easily spy the freighter that landed in the drifting sands below.

Touching down he made his way to the ship. The heat of the planet clung to him, stifling him. He wanted to take off his helmet but resisted. He found Rey where he had left her, still unconscious. He took the pilot’s seat, and set a new course, looking for signs of life. After a while, he saw it. A small outpost, a cluster of stalls and huts set against the red sand.

This must be the Niima Outpost. His father had told him long ago stories about this place, how it was filled to brim with desperate characters and scum. Nothing good ever came out of this planet, he said. Jakku was nothing but dirt and sand, choking the life out of its meager population.

He found the main complex, the largest tent. Alien and human alike were working, scrubbing, melting, haggling, and moving about in a frenzy only those with nowhere to go can. As he entered, most stopped their work, a silence settling over the tent.

He looked around, addressing the crowd, “I’m here to see a man by the name of Plutt.” He couldn’t for the life of him remember the man’s first name, but he remembered his father would sometime curse the name “Plutt” when things went wrong while working on the Falcon.

“You mean Unkar Plutt?”

“Yes. Take me to him.”

The man looked apprehensive but swiftly led Ben out of the tent and around back to a smaller, more grandiose one. He signaled for him to wait outside. He could make out voices through the thin fabric walls.

“Sir, there is someone here to see you— I don’t know him. He’s strange. And—“ The conversation was cut short as Ben stormed into the tent, letting the man known as Unkar Plutt size him up. The dirty Crolute man stood up.

“How dare you walk in—“

Ben cut him short, “I have something for you. It would help your operation.”

Unkar paused, looking him up and down and gave a grunt, “and what would that be?”

“A new worker. Young, no attachments, free to mold for your purpose.”

Unkar rumbled with laughter, “I have all the workers I need.”

“The girl—“ Ben was interrupted before he could finish.

“A girl? Oh, now you’re really trying to sell me some junk.”

Ben felt his jaw clench. A breeze rustled behind him as the tent entrance was opened. Two of what looked to be Plutt’s goons moved in behind him.

_Fools…_

“You will do what I say,” Ben commanded.

“Oh, really? Look. I don’t know who you are. You’re clearly not from here so let’s get this straight. I run this Outpost and everyone in it. I own the largest shipyard on the planet. And I have plenty of workers. So get lost.”

Ben took his lightsaber from his belt, igniting the blade. He watched with satisfaction as the Crolute gasped and stumbled back, tripping over a low table. The two men behind him sprang. In seconds the guards were at his feet, the smell of burnt flesh filling the air. He strode over to where Unkar cowered.

“No! Please! I’ll take her. Free of payment. Just…”

Ben crouched down beside him.

“You will protect the girl until her family comes back to get her. You will provide for her until she can properly work. You will tell no one about me or this encounter or where the girl came from. Is this understood?”

“Who… who are you?” Unkar asked hoarsely.

Ben just stood and made his way towards the entrance, stepping over the still bodies crumpled on the floor.

He paused before leaving, turning his head slightly to address Plutt.

“If you fail any of those demands, I will come, and I will destroy this entire outpost and leave you for dead. Is that clear?”

“Yes…” Unkar whispered.

“The girl is on my ship. Come get her in fifteen minutes.”

 

* * *

 

Ben opened the ship’s hatch to find Rey still silent. He shook her awake. She instantly began to fight.

“Stop. Rey… it’s me.”

Rey froze as Ben took off the helmet, the air cooling his damp face. He kneeled next to her.

She just stared. Speechless and confused.

Lifting his hand, Ben pushed into her mind with closed eyes, re-living the last few hours through her distorted memories. He took a deep breath focusing on them. In the time it took for him to rifle through her mind, he felt it give and bend to his will, her memories repressing until they were no more. When he opened his eyes her gaze was blank.

She blinked, looking around, “Who are you?”

Ben swallowed. He had done it. Her past memories gone, her future ones all that she would have.

“I’m bringing you to your new home.”

Ben stood up, opening the hatch once more, replacing his helmet.

“What do you mean my new home? Where was I before? Where is… where is my family?”

“They will come back to get you,” he lied.

“But I don’t understand—“

Ben saw Unkar Plutt making his way through the sand, alone, approaching the ship.

“Come. It’s time.” He pulled Rey out of her chair, towards the hatch.

“This is the girl, Rey.” Ben addressed Unkar, who looked sour as he glanced down at Rey.

“Remember our agreement.” Ben threatened as he boarded the ship.

As the door closed he could hear them.

“Come on, girl,” Unkar growled.

“No! Wait! Come back!” Rey yelled as Ben lifted the freighter up. He punched in the coordinates and blocked out of the voices as he sped off into the atmosphere.

 

* * *

 

**_Starkiller Base (non-operational)_ **

**_Unknown Regions_ **

 

Kneeling on the cold and glossy, dark floor Ben kept his head down as he heard the eerie voice address him.

“The other Knights reported in. Most were dispatched and the sabers taken…”

Ben sensed something sinister in his Master’s voice. He swallowed hard under his helmet, sweat dripping down his neck. Surely he had composed himself enough to keep his Master from discovering what he had done? And the others couldn’t have known…

“However…” Snoke’s voice was threatening low, his menace bleeding through, “Skywalker escaped. I told you to kill him. So I ask now, why is he still alive?”

“M-Master, I felt it would be enough of a blow that all his students and his daughter–“

“Enough?!” Ben flinched as Snoke’s voice boomed, echoing on the walls around him, “due to your mistake, we are vulnerable. Skywalker is now the last Jedi and a threat.”

“I took his saber—“ Ben stammered.

The laughter that came from Snoke was merciless and made Ben’s skin crawl.

“He can make another, boy.”

“Master, I will find him and finish the job. My mistakes will not go in vain. I will use your teachings to defeat him.”

Snoke was quiet; assessing. Ben finally had the courage to look up. A hologram flickered in front of him, the image superimposed, larger than life, nearly ten times larger than himself. Despite the intimating height it still showed the age of the man that took form, his sunken face and twisted jaw set in wrinkles deep as jagged canyons.

“Despite your… _miscalculation_ you have performed well. Better than I expected. It must have been hard for you… but you succeeded, led the others and made quite a blow against our enemy,” the pause that stretched before them became unbearable for Ben, “it is time for you to become the man you were destined to be… Now, rise, Kylo Ren."


	2. I

 

**_ Two Years Later... _ **

* * *

 

 

**_ Village of Pal’qui _ **

**_ District of Toculva  _ **

**_ Amerell _ **

**_ Inner Core  _ **

 

_She was unbearably excited. The weight of it heavy on her chest, yet she felt so full of energy she may very well explode. It was Amira Cai’del’s twelfth birthday; her Independence Day. School had been particularly hard that day. She thanked the spirits that it was lunchtime. Her lunch growing colder on her desk, her friend Odala Loren rolled her brown eyes for the umpteenth time that day, leaning across her own desk to Amira’s._

_“If you flunk out of school, what good will you be to your family then even if you are of age…” Her cynical yet kind friend kept up her light-hearted teasing._

_“Even of age, she won’t be much better,” a haughty voice drawled behind them._

_When Odala wasn’t the one teasing Amira, it was Thad Korall, all tough and proud for show with a nasty smirk and an infuriating arrogance. She never did quite understand what made him popular with her schoolmates. Maybe it was that his father represented her district of Toculva on the Council of Seven in Iltheria (“I’m practically royalty” he always said). Amira tried her best to ignore his snobbish, half-witted conversation. She knew if she didn’t accept Thad she would face estrangement from her classmates._

_“I didn’t know it was your Independence Day,” a fellow classmate chimed in._

_“Do you know your apprenticeship focus yet?” A younger boy asked, “when I’m independent I’m going to Edone to studying mining. All the men in my family become miners.”_

_“Cave rat,” leave it to Thad for name calling._

_“Knock it off, Thad. If it weren’t for the miners, we wouldn’t get our crystals.” Odala was the only one of the group who could talk back to Thad. She absentmindedly touched her right ear, the crystal hanging there reflecting light as she did so._

_“Is it true you’re leaving Odala? Heard you might be going to Dol’Hom.”_

_“Who? Me?” Odala sat back in her chair, “no way! I’m staying right here.”Amira could hear how ardently her friend’s voice was, always trying to prove herself and her family to the village._

_“I thought maybe you’d be going to Nal’Com. Isn’t that where your great grandfather came from?” An older boy asked, his tone implying disrespect._

_The abrupt noise of a chair being scooted back caused everyone to turn._

_“What’d you say?” Odala had the boy by the front of his shirt._

_The boy was almost a foot taller than her. Amira saw Odala’s hand clenched at her side. She was working up a punch._

_“Excuse me. What is going on here?” It was the teacher._

_Everyone shuffled back to their desks as lunch came to an end._

 

* * *

 

_After her long walk home from school, her brother, Desaquin, was waiting for her at the door, Amira’s excitement had peaked to where she no longer could find words. She couldn’t sit still and felt as if she could unexpectedly float away. Sitting near the window, she watched as far to the east the sun was beginning to descend below Eyraan’s Watch, the highest peak of the Edonian Mountains. Her father would be coming home soon, which meant Amira would_ finally _get her gift._

_All children of Amerell partake in the tradition of independence. Once a child reaches the age of twelve they become independent. As a token of this, the child is given a precious gift. It is customary for the father, who acts as the head of household, to give the gift on the child’s twelfth birthday. While temporarily remaining in the household, the child then chooses an area of expertise to study. This apprenticeship is either carried out in their own district or some choose to go to boarding school’s in other districts to study. Amira had yet to decide on what she wanted to learn. She has watched many of her older classmates leave to study far away, eager to leave Pal’qui, their village, behind. She had heard the adults voicing their concerns for preserving their traditions and Amira felt pressured to stay behind. All that her mother had taught her would be wasted if she left Tolculva for another district._

_She wondered yet again how her father would choose to encase it. Would it be a necklace like her mother’s? Maybe a bracelet. She didn’t have her ear pierced so she had successfully ruled out an earring. Her family couldn’t afford a hair ornament in silver or gold as she had seen once on the wealthy girls when she visited the bustling business district of Dol’Hom. Maybe it would be a woven hair ornament, though she secretly hoped against it as she didn’t care much for headpieces._

_Deep in thought, Amira jumped at the sound of her mother’s voice._

_“Your father should be home soon. Are you excited?”_

_Amira turned and smiled brightly, nodding briefly before turning back to the window sill, the nightly breeze came down from the slopes of the Ollothan forest and whispered through the trees in the backyard. She could hear children a few huts down, playing. The sound of the village elder’s chickens settling down for night gave Amira more excitement, her heart fluttering in her throat. It was very near this time of night, once the sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the sky with a light pink hue, that her father would walk through the door, which she now turned to look at, the breeze making the woven screen covering the entryway sway back and forth lazily._

_The house was quiet, her brother Desaquin, the ever-busy two-year-old, was asleep for the night in the bedroom. Her mother was at the large, ancestral, carved, wooden table which divided the main room. She had a bowl ready to be filled with stew for Amira’s father. She could hear the bubbling of the pot over the fire; the savory smell of the season’s fresh herbs made Amira’s stomach rumble so loudly she was sure her mother could hear it._

_“Would you like some?” Her mother asked._

_“I’ll wait for father.” Truth was, Amira was far too worked up to stomach anything._

_“Well then, come over here and help me.”_

_Amira gladly obliged the distraction as her belly gave another growl._

_Her mother was in the process of preparing freshly-dried plants on the table for extraction. She gestured to a pile of dried flowers._

_“Grind those for me.”_

_Amira sat across the table, the milky reddish-brown stone mortar and pestle sat in front of her, worn down from years of use. Adding small bunches at a time, she began the repetitive and familiar motion of grinding down the dried petals to a fine powder. The pungent, bitter smell of the crushed flowers hit her nose, making her wrinkle it. Her mother noticed and laughed._

_“You never could stand the smell of Roldish. And what do we use the flowers of the Roldish plant for?”_

_Amira instantly recognized her mother was testing her, as she did often while they worked, mixing conversation with learning. The answer came to Amira immediately._

_“It is used as one of many to reduce a fever, but it is the most effective.”_

_“Very good.”_

_Her mother paused and studied her face, causing Amira to stop her work and look up. The sudden serious expression her mother wore made her uneasy._

_“You know, your father and I have told you we’d be happy to send you to a different district to do your apprenticeship. Are you sure this is what you’d like to do?”_

_“Yes. I mean... I can’t imagine doing other things. Besides, I like doing this and I know it pretty well, better than most subjects at school,” Amira smiled._

_“If it’s what you want. You still have the rest of this school term to decide, you know.”_

_“I know. I don’t think I’ll change my mind, mother. I want to work with you. Then, I could stay here with you, and father, and Desaquin.”_

_Her mother gave her a smile, “I know at your age, sometimes you’re afraid-” Amira opened her mouth to object, her mother kept going, raising her inflection slightly, “-of leaving home, or perhaps you don’t want to for another reason...Think about the other places you could go. You could go to Dol’Hom, like your father, start a new business if you’d like there. Who knows, you could even end up like the Callenu’s boy, serving under the monarchy in Illtheria.”_

_Amira made a face, “I_ hate _politics...”_

_“The point is Amira, you can’t let family hold you back. You can’t truly know your heart’s desires until you’ve ventured away. There’s the entire galaxy for you to explore. You’re most open for discovery when you are exposed, in an unfamiliar place.”_

_“But Mama, I don’t_ want _to change. This is my home, that’ll never change.”_

_“I just want you to remember, no matter how far away you go- to Illtheria or to Coruscant- we will be here for you. Waiting to hear about your adventures. No matter what.”_

_Amira gave a weary smile. Her family meant everything to her. Toculva was her home. She couldn’t imagine leaving Amerell. Going off-world seemed impossible. No matter the hardships and poverty-stricken conditions her family faced, they had each other. Her friends were here. The mud walls of her family’s hut, the first snowfall that came down from the Edonian Mountains; the smell of the blooming flowers in the Elusian Fields of Corpora; the peaceful grinding of herbs in the evening with her mother; the stillness of the Ollothan’s tall forest, and the festivals to the spirits; how could she leave it all behind? She didn’t think she could._

 

* * *

 

_The sun had set long ago, and Amira and her mother had finished all the work that could be done with the herbs. The fire had died down some, the remaining coals glowing dimmer and dimmer. Amira was given a bowl of stew to eat, but it had long gone cold. The quiet calls of the night insects could be heard, the air heavy with moisture. The first of the summer’s rain was on its’ way._

_“Your father must have been held up at work again.”_

_Amira knew better. Her mother kept her voice light and airy, but she could tell when her mother was avoiding the truth. It was true that her father had begun to come home later and later recently. Mother assured Amira everything was fine, but Amira knew she was lying. She heard their quiet arguments in the main room at night, when she lay in the bedroom, snuggled up next to her brother under their light, woven blanket._

_It was nearly midnight when they heard the rumble of her father’s ancient speeder bike. At last, her father was home! She heard the engine cut, the customary two clunks deemed it so. Her father’s heavy footsteps coming around the side of the hut, the slight disturbance of the screen as he pushed against it. Finally! Her very own gift of independence. She couldn’t wait to show Odala, and rub it in Thad’s face that she got hers months before he would._

_Amira saw the look on her father’s face and knew something was wrong. His face was drawn, he looked weary and troubled. Amira went over nevertheless and gave him a hug around the middle. Surely, no matter the trouble, he remembered her most important birthday. He smiled tightly at her, his eyes showed a sadness and without another word, he headed to the bedroom. Her mother followed._

_Amira could hear their voices, quiet as to not wake her brother, yet forceful. Another argument. Only this time she knew exactly what it was about. She stared at the fire._

_He forgot._

_He didn’t prepare her gift. She wasn’t getting it. Her stomach twisted in knots and her heart began to beat a little faster. She felt the bite of disappointment so great she wanted to scream. She would have to face her classmates tomorrow as the same girl. The girl without independence. Hot tears began to well up, her view of the fire becoming blurry._

_Just as Amira thought about running out the door, she heard the voices stop, her mother reappeared, her face tight, her eyes full of emotion._

_“He forgot,” Amira stated the obvious as she avoided her mother’s gaze._

_“He did. But I did not.” Amira turned to look at her mother as she came over to where Amira sat, kneeling down in front of her._

_“Happy birthday, my daughter. You’ve earned your independence.”_

_Her mother opened her palm and Amira looked down. In it was a thumbnail-sized crystal. The beauty and the clear depth of it shone brightly as the light of the fire caught it. Her very own Ambestine crystal. Her independence in all its’ physical, radiate glory. But Amira knew the gift would never truly be right. For one, it should have been her father giving the gift, and second, Amira recognized the familiarity of the crystal immediately. It was her mother’s._

_Her mother read the expression on Amira’s face, “I’m sorry it couldn’t be unique and your own from the start. But I want you to have this. In time, I hope you will make your own.”_

_Amira took the crystal necklace from her mother and felt the heat of it match the tears which had begun to fall. Her mother embraced her._

_“I know it breaks tradition but I know you’ll cherish it the same.”_

_Amira hugged her mother tighter, letting her tears flow freely, grasping the crystal so firmly, her hand was hot with its’ warmth._

_“Mother...” Amira began, her voice but a whisper, “do you think_ — _”_

 

_“_ Amira.”

Amira jumped and blinked rapidly, the memory slowly fading to the back of her mind. She looked around to see her classmates staring at her. She felt a nudge on her left arm and turned to look at Odala who jerked her head to the front of the room. Amira turned her head and saw her teacher standing at the front, waiting.

“What...?” Amira managed to say quietly, her mind still adjusting. 

“What year was the 60 Year Conflict between Alderaan, the Monarchy of the Amerell, and the Qui’al resolved.”

“Uh, 10 BBY.”

“Correct. Try to stay with us, Amira.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Amira put her head down with embarrassment as class continued on.

A few hours later with the sun high, Amira, Odala, and Thad made their journey back home from school.

“You should have seen your face. You looked like a Kantan who realized it lost its herd.” 

Amira grimaced. She didn’t like to be compared with livestock, especially when that comparison came from Thad. With school done, the timing came just in time for the week’s end. The Aryt’al was tomorrow and Amira was eager to celebrate. 

“Did you know that this year marks the 3000th Aryt’al.”

“Who cares?” 

Amira had to hold back her tongue against Thad’s comment.

“Oh yeah! I forgot. I wonder if the festival will be any different, you know, like something special, something _big,_ ” Odala said.

“I haven’t heard anything,” Thad said, his false sense of elitism creeping into his voice, “my father hasn’t said anything about it.”

Amira couldn’t resist, “How would he _know_? It’s not like this is a global festival. It’s only in Toculva.”

“ _My father_ happens to be an important figure and is close to The Elders, so actually, he would know.”

Amira quickly looked away, feinting embarrassment when instead her annoyance had peaked and she clenched a fist at her side to stop herself. 

Odala ignored the tension that had settled between the two, “my neighbor helps out with the festival preparations too and they haven’t said anything to my family about it so I guess it will be the same as usual.”

“Yeah. Lame, as usual,” Thad droned.

Amira focused on the fields of cally that were beginning to grow tall, their bright blue stems reaching higher for the sun, the leaves almost as big as Amira’s hand. She could see a herd of Kantan in the distance, their shrill wails the common sound of Corpora. Here life centered around agriculture and Amira had always found it calm, even calmer than her own district’s demure way of life. In the summer, though, it seemed even slower, almost lazy. The haze of the sun above was bearing down on them, as they trekked down the worn dirt path, cracked from the heat and lack of rain. She remembered hearing one of her classmates mention an impending drought. She looked at the crops, laid out as far as the eye could see on both sides of the path and felt a pang of concern for the people of Corpora. The crops and animals were their sources of livelihood; without them, they would suffer. She closed her eye for the briefest of moments to send word to the spirits. Maybe they would listen and bring relief.

 

* * *

 

“Are you finished plucking those?” Amira’s mother asked.

Amira gathered the white, brown-speckled leaves and pushed the pile across the wooden table, taking care to grab any stray leaves that managed to get stuck in the deep grooves of the wood grain. 

The familiar sounds of their work filled the silent room: her mother’s grinding in the mortar and pestle, the small _pluck,_ monotonous as Amira continued her work at pruning the leaves from their stems, and outside, the soft, melodic sound of the wind chimes stirred in harmony. Desaquin would be waking up from a nap at any moment. A knock at the door interrupted the quiet atmosphere.

Amira went to the doorway and recognized the blonde peeking between the slats of the woven curtain.

“You coming?” Odala asked.

Amira looked over at her mother and her unfinished work, hopeful.

“Go ahead. Just be home before sundown.”

Amira gave her mother a smile before flipping up the door screen and joining her friend outside the hut.

Odala gestured to the bow and quiver set beside the door, “you’ll want to bring those. Thad has a new course ready for us. Can’t wait to fail that one too…” 

Amira smiled at her friend’s overly-exaggerated sarcastic look. 

Grabbing the worn archery set that had belonged to her father, they set out towards the edge of the village. The Ollothan loomed ahead, the forest dense with skinny pines and ground ferns as it rose up almost ominously. Amira and her people knew there was nothing to fear in those woods despite what ignorant outsiders seemed to think.

“Hey! Amira! Wait up!” A familiar voice called from behind.

They turned to see their classmate, Jayder Zancress, running towards them.

“…not the new kid…let’s get rid of him before it’s too late…” Odala whined in a whisper.

“Oh, come on. He’s nice,” Amira turned around again, waving.

Odala gave a glum look before resigning with a sigh, “Whatever.”

Jayder caught up with them, his auburn hair neatly combed.

“Hey, Amira,” Jayder gave a straight, white-toothed smile, “Hey, Odala…”

Odala had her arms crossed as she gave Jayder the once over, her expression of dislike obvious as she looked at his showy, fine-fabric clothing. She gave him a curt nod and small noise of acknowledgment. 

Amira gave her friend a hidden nudge before turning to Jayder. 

“We’re going to into the Ollothan to play, you should come.”

Jayder smiled warmly at the invitation and they set off again, halting at the edge of the forest. Jayder almost kept walking but Odala yanked him back, annoyed. She gave a confused Jayder a look. 

“What?”

“What do you mean _what?_ Geez. Hasn’t your father, the supposed “anthropologist” told you anything of the Qui’al traditions?” 

Jayder’s face fell, crestfallen and embarrassed.

Amira stepped between the two. 

“Enough, Odala. Jayder hasn’t been on our world for more than two months now. You can’t think he’ll know everything.”

Odala looked down at her feet, looking sullen. Amira saw the faint pink on her cheeks and knew her friend was hiding her turn at embarrassment.

Amira turned to Jayder explaining, “the Ollothan is sacred to the Qui’al. It’s where all the spiritual energy of our ancestors and the present comes from. It’s a place where those who are lost go to be found, a place of healing, and a place of knowledge. We must enter the forest properly, to show respect,” she felt proud as she quoted her cultural studies textbook almost perfectly. She was confident she would do well on their upcoming quiz.

Amira led the way, walking parallel to the tree line until they came upon one of the old open stone temples erected thousands of years ago. The recent renovation by the village had restored the temple to its old glory: the stone has been washed clean of dirt, new ceremonial tassels had been woven and hung, freshly dyed a bright cobalt blue. They walked up the three steps to stand in its’ center. Amira and Odala stood side-by-side and together gave two claps, forming the traditional rite of passage hand gesture. Giving a slight bow, Amira spoke, “please let our friend, an outsider, safe passage. He knows of your presence and will respect it as we do.”

Amira looked over her shoulder, signaling Jayder that he too should bow. 

He gave an unsure one, trying to mimic the hand gesture. 

“Onward, then.” Odala was the first to walk down the three steps that led into the forest. 

The group headed up a steep hill not far from the forest entrance. Odala had stopped to pick up the day’s walking stick, a habit of hers. Amira noticed that Jayder wasn’t quite as fast as them, and when they made to the top, she could see how winded he was. A few minutes later, crashing through the undergrowth, the ferns shuttering as they passed, they came to the edge of a clearing. Below was a hollow that Amira and her friends had discovered years ago. Ever since then it was deemed their “hide-out”. Taking the small narrow path down, using the embedded stones as footholds, they made their way down. At the bottom they saw Thad sitting there, waiting.

“There you are! Thought you’d gotten lost.” Thad shouted as he jumped down from his rocky perch.

“You always say you thought we got lost. When will you figure out we _don’t get lost,_ ” Odala taunted back.

Thad just smiled and shook his head. He looked at Amira and saw her bow and quiver hanging from her shoulder. 

“I guess Odala already told you, but I made a new course,” he gestured with arms sweeping across the clearing, “maybe this time you’ll actually be a _worthy_ adversary.”

Amira felt her insides warm and squirm with dislike. She stood a little taller.

“I already am.” The firm tone of her voice surprised her, even Thad looked a little impressed. But only for a moment before he composed himself and gave a smirk and an arrogant _hmph._

This was the third time Thad had created an archery course in their forest hollow. The first two times, Amira had lent Odala her bow and arrows and each time Odala managed to miss every target. Needless to say, she felt that archery was dumb anyway. 

“Didn’t see you back there, Zancress. Do you even know what _this_ is?” he held up his bow, “I doubt they have them on that filthy factory planet you call home.”

Ever since Jayder’s arrival, Thad had been nothing but rude to him. Amira guessed it was because Jayder was two years older than the others and stood almost a foot taller than Thad. He acted so much older too. Amira admired his maturity. She only wished the others could see it too.

Jayder stiffened before straightening himself, “On Kuat, we have more _sophisticated_ weaponry, such as ray guns and ion cannons.” 

Thad narrowed his eyes, silent. The two boys regarded each other for a moment. 

Thad’s face twisted into a nasty sneer, “at least Amerell didn’t mass produce weapons for the Empire.”

Amira gave a small gasp. It was common knowledge that Empire’s massive fleets were produced in Kuat’s legendary shipyards. 

“Have you forgotten your planets’ role in the Empire. Was it not your precious gem, _Ambestine_ , that powered the Death Star?”

Thad growled, his fist pulling back as he stomped over to Jayder. 

“Stop it! Both of you,” It was Odala that stood in the middle this time, “can we just forget it? Thad and Amira have a competition to play.” 

Amira smiled nervously. She felt sorry for how the other’s have been treating Jayder since his arrival. Most of her classmates saw him as an outsider. She heard the adults of her village whispering about his family. The way they looked at them. It was clear that they wouldn’t accept them. Jayder may have come from a wealthy family, with more money than Amira could ever imagine, his cloths spun from the finest of textiles that were elaborately dyed and embroidered, but she had seen the compassion in his eyes, and the ignorance to his status among her people. His family was nothing but polite and curious.

Amira couldn’t help but give a small smile as she realized that no one stood up to Thad’s cruel comments, yet this boy had, and he had managed to beat Thad at his own game. For that, she commended him.

Thad spit on the ground before turning his back on the group. 

“There are six targets, best out of six wins.” He turned back to look at Amira.

“Ladies first…” he sneered.

Amira glanced at the other two as she walked towards the first target, one situated haphazardly on a low tree branch. The old woven pouch was starting to tear at the bottom, the dried grass inside beginning to finds its way out. A crude bullseye had been painted on the pouch, lopsided and fading. Amira slung her quiver of arrows over her left shoulder and checked the tautness of her bow’s string with a few quick pulls. Odala and Jayder and taken to the rocks to watch the competition unfold. Odala looked a little bored, her eyes on Thad with a ghost of a smile on her lips. Amira was her best friend, but she knew where Odala’s feelings really were. She felt a little pang of jealousy that it was that self-centered, foolish boy that had taken her place. Odala had mentioned Thad a few times in a strange context. Love was a mystery still to Amira. Fourteen was a time of change and Amira felt as if she was missing a curious, new concept. Jayder gave her a small smile when their eyes met. She felt her heart skip a beat. Why was she nervous this time? It must have been the anticipation of beating Thad…

She drew her first arrow and staring at the target, slowly notched and drew it. 

“Try to aim for once,” Thad said loudly to her side. 

“Shh! No talking, Thad!” Odala, always the trusty rule keeper. 

Amira felt her heart beating faster than normal, her palms damp. She let the arrow go and a breath later saw she missed the target completely as she heard the arrow collide with the underbrush who knows how far away.

Thad started to laugh, “Wow.”

He elbowed her out of way. His bow was made of metal, gleaming bright and new. A gift from his _esteemed_ father no doubt. Amira knew exactly where Thad had got his arrogance from. If Thad was hardly enough to handle, his father was out of the question. Once when Amira asked her mother why Mister Korall was the way he was, she mentioned power and how he let it go to his head, forgetting what his roots in the village really meant. Now he thought himself above them. 

Thad easily prepared his own arrow and after a few seconds found his target just to the left of the bullseye.

The next three arrows weren’t much better for Amira, but Thad had misjudged as well. Amira was only one shot away from a tie.

The second-to-last target was a downward shot into a small hollow in the rocks twelve feet down. Standing on the smooth boulder above, Amira took a few seconds to compose herself. She let her eyes close and started to control her breathing. She felt a familiar sensation similar to instincts swell inside her. Opening her eyes she was sure of her target, the sensation flowing through her as she sucked in her last breath before holding it. As she let the arrow go, she felt the success before it hit the mark. She scored a five. A bullseye, dead center. A first for her since Thad had taught her and Odala how to shoot. With twelve points, Amira felt she might have a chance at winning. Thad’s smile had disappeared with her last shot and he hastily shot his fifth arrow. He hit the edge, outside the target. A zero. His glare at Amira made her own pride swell. She was going to win.

The last target was placed at the far end of the hollow, on the rocks were Odala and Jayder were sitting. The four of them moved to the opposite end for the victory shot. At sixty yards away, the shot was daunting.

Thad hadn’t dropped his glare and Amira busied herself with adjusting her footing to try and keep distracted from her nerves. She repeated her slow process of aiming as she did before, her nerves keeping her from focusing on her instinctual sensation. She tried to calm herself, feeling a tug on her hands, but before she could act on it, her hand slipped, the arrow flying into the target with a _thud._ She had hit the bottom of the target. A one. She felt her limbs grow heavy with dread. She didn’t get it. She wasn’t going to win. Thad gave a small chuckle as he regained his haughty confidence. Amira looked down and when she heard the arrow hit its mark, a glance up revealed a bullseye. 

Everything was dead quiet before Thad gave a victory whoop. 

“Nice try, for a girl that is,” he snickered.

Amira didn’t say anything just gave him a glare that only made him laugh. She knew better than to let it show that he got to her. She walked away toward the others. 

“You almost had him,” Odala said, placing a hand on Amira’s shoulder, giving it a squeeze, “next time.”

Amira tried to smile, but the bitterness of disappointment still stung. 

Jayder smiled at her, saying loudly, “Odala told me that you’ve only been shooting for a few months now, and this was only the third competition. You sure had me fooled. I think you’re just as good, maybe even better than Korall over there.”

Thad whipped around, annoyance crossing his face.

“Maybe you failed to notice, Zancress, but _I won._ That makes me _better_.”

Jayder just stared back and smiled, egging him on. 

“Not how I see it.”

“Well, no one cares what a snobby immigrant has to say.”

“Oh. I’m the arrogant one then?” Jayder shot back.

Thad’s fists were curled at his side, and judging by his face, it wouldn’t take more than another comment for him to throw the first punch. 

“Geez. You two are worse than the Guane twins at school… let’s go swimming.” Odala said as she went over and hooked her arm around Thad’s, pulling him away. 

Amira hung back with Jayder. They walked in silence for a few moments before Amira hesitantly began, “…Uh, thanks, for that back there…”

“You’re welcome.”

Their trek to the small pond left them all hot and damp from the humid heat. Amira hoped that rain would finally come. Thad ran ahead, throwing his shirt off as he leapt from a rock into the pond below. Odala stopped near the bank stripping down to her underclothes before wading in. Amira noticed Jayder’s expression.

“You don’t like swimming?”

“Er, no. I don’t actually know how to swim. There's no pools of water back on Kuat.”

“Oh. I wasn’t really in the mood to swim so come on, let’s sit over there.”

Amira pointed to the far bank where large, flat rocks backed up to the water. She sat on the edge, letting her dirty bare feet dangle in the water. She watched as Jayder removed his boots. Such a strange concept to her… shoes. 

“Don’t your feet ever get hot wearing those?” She said, pointing to his shiny boots that were now coated in dust. 

“I… guess? I’ve nothing to compare it to since I don’t ever go barefoot.”

Amira’s eyes widened in curiosity, “ever? Even at home?”

“At home we wear slippers. They’re made of fabric.”

Amira looked over the water, regarding his comments, watching Thad and Odala wrestle each other in the water, Odala dunking Thad’s head, shrieking as he grabbed her leg and pulled her under.

“So then your people never wear shoes?” Jayder asked.

Amira knew that most of the Qui’als of her village would be insulted to hear him refer to them as “your people”, however, Amira knew he meant well and she never heard an ounce of intentional disrespect from him.

She shook her head, “Only for travel and at the festivals, when we travel to the Grand Shrine. We wear woven shoes. They’re like those… slippers, you talked about. You have to cover your feet when going to the Grand Shrine. Going barefoot is seen as disrespectful because of the presence of the spirits and it’s a place of purity.”

“Yet the woods where they live are not considered pure?”

She shook her head again, “the Ollothan is a natural world, and we can be our natural selves here so long as we respect these grounds.”

“My father met one of the elders, the one that’s considered your people’s… spiritual leaders, isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s Al’Tayoen. She leads the village in all spiritual things. She can also talk with the spirits, but most outsiders don’t understand or believe that part. Do you have any spirits on Kuat?”

“No, we are a very simple people. We work hard, whether it be in the manufacturing of ships or other means, like education. What drives us is ambition and a job well done. My father was never very good with his hands. My grandparents feared that his future might be hopeless, at least on Kuat that is, but he found his passion for learning and knowledge, so they sent him to Coruscant to a university there. He became an anthropologist and met my mother while studying there. Then they had me, and now we travel the galaxy, so my father can do his research.”

Amira felt a twinge in her stomach, “how long will you be here on Amerell, then?”

“About a year. That’s usually how much time is needed for him to gather adequate information.” Jayder gave her a wistful look.

A look that confused Amira. Maybe he liked it here so far and didn’t look forward to leaving. The twinge in her stomach grew a little stronger. Amira wasn’t sure she wanted him to leave. He was a good friend, and she had enjoyed getting to know him in the last few phases. She gave a short sigh.

“Well, we have the rest of this cycle. Better make it count!” 

Unsure what to do with herself, she jumped up and without stripping her clothes down, leaped into the water. She came back up only to see a now soaked Jayder. He looked stunned before bursting out laughing. Amira joined him soon after. 

“I can teach you to swim. I’ve taught other kids from school, and they were a lot younger than you.”

Jayder looked hesitant before shrugging, “why not?” 

As he unwrapped his intricate shirt, Amira tried hard not to stare. It was like it had just struck her how different boys looked from girls. The way she could see Jayder’s muscles moving under his skin as he did. She felt the heat rise in her cheeks before she looked away, dropping herself under the water. 

 

* * *

 

“See you tomorrow, Amira!” Odala waved as she ran off with Thad.

Amira waved and turned to Jayder.

“I was surprised how fast you learned today,” Amira said.

“I surprised myself. It’s a lot easier than I thought. I can’t wait to go home and tell my parents that I know how to swim. They look at me like I’m crazy,” Jayder laughed.

“Are you coming to the festival tomorrow?” Amira asked.

Jayder nodded, “my family is coming too. My father will be doing observational work, and some interviews. I’ll see if I can get him to interview you.”

“Oh, uh, no. That’s okay. I, um… I don’t like to be the center of attention.”

“That’s a shame,” Jayder said softly, a look passing between them.

“Well, um, I better… go. My mother probably needs help. Help with, ah… the meal! Yes, the meal. See you tomorrow night then.”

“Good night, Amira.”

Jayder paused before leaving, and as he walked away, Amira felt herself grow hot and smile for no reason at all. Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut and keep her cool? 

Walking into the hut, she found her mother still at work, two bowls set out for the meal on the table. She knew her brother would be asleep by now, and the missing bowl meant one thing: her father wouldn’t be joining for the meal tonight.

“Father staying late at work again?”

Her mother tried to keep her composure, “I don’t honestly know. Nowadays I never know.”

Amira could hear the bite in her comment. She understood that her father was staying late at work most nights, trying to support them. She wished her mother would be more understanding.

“Take those to the drying shed.” 

Grabbing the tied bundles of freshly cut plants she made her way outside and to the backside of the hut. Next to the herb garden was a small, crude shed, the door missing a latch and a hinge near the top, making the door lean at an odd angle. Inside was just as plain: The packed dirt floor uncovered, a wooden counter slung across the shed on the far side. The few items were tools for her father’s speeder bike and obscure, long-forgotten junk. The left side of the shed was clean and used for their medicine making. Labeled glass jars, crammed with dried leaves lined a shelf and above that various wads of plants were hung from the ceiling to dry. Stepping up on an ancient wooden stool, the habitual creak of it as it found her weight, Amira reached high and hung the freshly-cut bunches one at a time. 

As she made her way out of the shed, carefully closing the shabby door as to not have it slam shut, the corner of her eye caught movement. Standing a few yards away was her father. 

And he wasn’t alone.

Amira watched for a moment as he father looked around warily as if he didn’t want to be seen. Amira swallowed hard, her heart beginning to race, as she crept behind the shed and poked her head out to watch the encounter. He father hadn’t seen her, his back to her. The fading light made it difficult to see and the stranger he was talking to, but she recognized a hard-looking man, younger than her father. He looked annoyed. Her father putting out his hands in front of him, his palms up, looking as if he was trying to explain something. They were too far away for Amira to make out any words. A glint caught her eye as the stranger moved his hand to stroke his short facial hair. A blaster. And another holster below that harboring a large curved knife. The man cut her father off short and spoke back, his posture and face aggressive. Her father resigned and looked down, shaking his head. The stranger made a point for her father to see his holsters. The man crossed his arms and looked absolute. 

Amira watched her father walk away slowly, his face shrouded in shadows. The man watched him walk into the hut. Amira waited breathlessly for the man to turn and leave. Finally, he did, but as he did so his eye caught something and Amira found herself staring right back at this strange, dangerous man. She gasped and flung herself behind the shed. 

He had seen her. 

She swallowed, breathing hard, fear seizing her. She shut her eyes waiting for him to approach her. But when what seemed like an eternity had passed, she bravely snuck a peek around the corner and found nothing there. The man was gone.

Letting her composure come back she went back into the hut. Her father was sitting at the table, eating from a bowl, staring at the fire, looking troubled. Her mother offered her some food, but Amira shook her head. She wasn’t hungry. She told her mother her head had started to hurt and that she was going to lie down. Making her way into the bedroom, she changed into her nightclothes and laid down softly next to Desaquin, his soft breathing barely audible. She stared at the ceiling for what seemed hours, before feinting sleep when she heard her mother come in. Her father never came to bed that night, and sleep evaded Amira. She couldn’t help but feel as if that man she saw was a very dangerous man. And not only had he threatened her father, he had seen Amira. 

She felt her throat close tighter as a sudden feeling washed over her. A feeling that she hadn’t felt in a very long time. Its familiar grasp made her aware that something wasn’t right. Her head ached as an anonymous, distorted voice continued to scream warnings inside her head. Her mother had always told her that Amira had a sharp perception, and Amira had noticed it seemed stronger when the threat of danger was near. She could do nothing but try to quell the voice inside her head and pray to the spirits that she was wrong. 


	3. II

****The pale, yellow light of dawn illuminated the room. Amira heard her mother rise, the quiet rustling as she dressed, and the sounds from the main room as she began to prepare for the day ahead.

Amira moved her sleeping brother out of the crook of her arm and stood, making her way to join her mother. Her eyes felt heavy after her sleepless night and she worried her mother might notice the bags under her eyes.  Her father had already left for the day.  As much as it troubled Amira to know that her father could be in danger, she took comfort in knowing that he was able to fulfill his ceremonial duties for today.

Her mother looked up from tending the newly light flames of the fireplace. She gestured to the table, “You can start on the bakora. I have the ingredients ready.”

Amira shuffled over to the table, rubbing her aching eyes. On the table sat a large bowl of bluish-hued seeds, their shape reminding her of the small, oblong pebbles she would kick on her walk to and from school. She took out her mortar and pestle and began grinding the seeds down to a fine crumble.

After her hand began to cramp and the morning sunshine crept along the packed dirt floor, her mother checked on her work.

“Add these herbs to it and then take it to the Ysdrul’s. Nariam offered to help prepare them and I told her you would be glad to help of course,” her mother said with a smile.

Amira’s stomach knotted at her mother’s words and she felt her heart beat faster as she mixed in the minced black leaves from their garden’s harvest of tarnwil. Changing into a faded green tunic and pants, she took the large, wooden bowl in both hands and made her way out the door.

With the absence of the daily bustle, the village was unusually quiet. The activities that would normally be taking place near Pal’qui’s main square were gone, leaving the area open and silent. There were no merchants today or children running through the alleyways; she could only hear the sounds from the nearby livestock that her neighbors kept. The air was still with oppressive heat as the sun continued its climb in the sky.

As Amira passed the village’s temple, she could hear many voices praying in unison. The doors were shut so she was left to imagine her father and all of the men of Pal’qui crammed together in the small space, beginning the day’s numerous tasks with prayers of goodwill, strength, and gratitude. The wooden post that towered over the highest roofs of the village now held a decorative wrap made from the branches and leaves of the forest, woven together with cobalt and yellow thread. The spirits would have gathered in the temple by now to hear the devotions from their descendants. In a few years, her brother would be among those descendants as he became old enough to partake in the ceremony.

The Ysdurl’s lived in the farthest corner of her village, nearest to the Ollothan. As she approached, Amira saw the temple next to the home had been completely scrubbed clean again, new and ready for the spirits as the festival approached. The Ysdurl’s were the ones who cleaned and restored the temples that lined the Ollothan for miles in each direction.

Amira swallowed hard as she approached the stoop. Nariam came to the door as Amira was about to announce herself.

“There you are! Just in time,” Nariam beamed, waving Amira in, her dark skin soft with wrinkles.

Amira dipped her head down, paying her respects to the hunched, older woman before entering the home. The Ysdurl’s were considered “well off” as far as it went for her people. Generations of being revered for their religious roles made sure that the family was gifted with necessities made by the others in the village. Over time, those gifts piled up to where Amira found herself wondering what it would be like to live without wanting.

The home was made entirely of durasteel whereas Amira’s hut had a few pieces where home improvements had to be made over the years. There were few durasteel homes in their village, most were like Amira’s: a jumble of wood, mud, and metal. A passing thought of annoyance crossed her mind as she recalled the numerous times she had spent at Thad’s and his gloating about his “top-of-the-line” metal house. The Ysdurls were not like the Koralls. They didn’t place themselves above others for the sake of wealth. They were humble and kind, giving back to the community where they could. Nariam's husband was once an ambassador for Amerell before he was forced to retire due to “the changing needs of the planet” as Amira had overheard the adults say. They knew it was a jab at their people and their place in the greater galactic world that had been shrouded in discretion. Now that Amira was older was she starting to understand what those words meant.

Setting down the bowl on the table, Amira took a seat after Nariam told her so and found herself sitting on the most comfortable cushion. She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and catch up on sleep, but Nariam was already bustling around the kitchen, gathering all the supplies and ingredients for the morning’s work.

Amira looked around nervously, finding herself peering around the corner down the hallway. She wondered if they were even home right now…  _Maybe they had participated in the morning prayer…_ She thought.

“Alright, I will mix this up,” Nariam gestured to the bowl Amira brought, a pitcher of water in her hand, “and you can start packaging up the na’udrl,” she said, pointing to multiple glass jars filled with floating purple chunks.

Amira opened the first jar and a sour smell hit her, making her frown. Nariam noticed and laughed.

“There are few children who like the smell and taste of the na’udrl.”

“I don’t like anything pickled. It’s so sour…” Amira grimaced.

“I imagine they are quite sour this year too. All of the fruit from the udrl trees weren’t sweet like last year’s.”

“I remember last year I was able to eat it without stuffing a few bakora in my mouth,” Amira remarked, as Nariam laughed again.

“I remember hating them at your age. Your taste buds will change eventually.”

“You mean you don’t like the taste of pickled fruit?” Amira tensed as she heard a voice call from the front door, the sound of footsteps heavy on the floor as they made their way to the cook room.

She looked up as Jayder walked in smiling. Amira shyly smiled back before busying herself with the na’udrl. The Ysdurl’s were the family that stepped up to host Jayder and his family. Most in the village scowled at the thought of bringing an outsider into their home, let alone sharing it and their culture. Unlike the rest, Nariam and her husband were eager to bring in the Zancress’. Amira had secretly hoped that Jayder would be home when she had arrived.

“I didn’t know you were coming to help us,” Jayder said as he took a seat across from Amira.

Amira nodded, “I brought the grounded bakora crumbles.”

“Ah, yes, something I haven’t tried yet. Nariam says they are delicious,” he had brought with him more baskets to pack and was lining them with cloth.

“Probably my favorite ritual food. But I like the festival food more,” Amira felt herself rambling in an attempt to calm her sudden nerves.

She saw Nariam’s face fall slightly at her comment.

“But our food is still the best. The labor we put into it makes the taste incomparable,” Amira attempted to cheer Nariam up, for she knew she had sounded insensitive.

It was common knowledge that the Qui’al’s tradition of the Aryt’al was a fading one. It was becoming harder to keep the new generation’s youth interested when the entire event was overshadowed by the festival that was held alongside it. The Aryt'al was never meant to be an overtly festive time; it was only for the Qui'al to partake in. Over the years, more and more outsiders came and then the government decided to throw a festival in the village’s honor. Her people didn’t see it as an honor, but more of an insult to the holiest of days. But her people continued their rituals, even in the wake of the changing times, and she and the rest of the children were taught the proper ways in hopes that tradition would continue.

She decided to change the subject. “Is your mother here, Jayder?”

Jayder shook his head, “no. She went ahead with some of the other women to clean the Lydis’ grounds. My father is with the rest of the men there as well. I forgot what exactly he’s in charge of though…”

“The men purify the temple before anyone else can enter. I don’t think he’d be allowed to go in yet.” Amira shrugged as she guessed.

Nariam answered the question for the both of them, “he was told to observe from outside. After the Lydis is purified he can enter. He’ll help clean before the rest of the men get there for prayer with Al’Tayoen.”

“Is she really the first women to serve as the Qui’alton?” Jayder asked.

“Yes,” Nariam began, choosing her words carefully, “it was a tradition reserved for men to become the next Qui’alton but Al’Warlyn, the last spiritual leader, chose her as his successor. It surprised everyone.”

Nariam’s smirk provoked another question, “I take it some didn’t like that?” Jayder commented.

“Oh, you can imagine. There was much debate with the elder’s for weeks on it. At first, they were ready to discredit Al’Warlyn’s decision. But in the end, they realized that the choice is entirely the right of the Qui’alton as not just anyone can be a successor.”

“How do they chose?” Jayder passed Amira another basket to fill, their hands touching lightly, causing Amira’s heart to beat faster.

“Potential candidates for the Qui’alton possess a power to link to our ancestors, some can even contact them or have visions of the future. The current Qui’alton can sense this.”

“It reminds me a lot of The Force.”

Amira could feel the smirk in Nariam’s voice as she went to grab another jar.

“The Force,” Nariam began, her voice light with ridicule, “has no place here. The connection we share with our ancestors is ours alone. Only a true Qui’al could have that connection.  _The Force_ is what non-Qui’al’s refer to as they try to explain something they cannot possibly understand.”

Amira looked up and saw that Jayder was but not offended by the words that Nariam said but looked to be deep in thought. Nariam cleared her throat and quelled her hostility.

“As you are aware, Jayder, my people have been ostracized in many ways in the past by fellow Amerellians, the galactic government, and the outsiders that venture this far. You can understand then why we feel the need to correct those who think they know us, when in fact, most don’t ever try,” with that she took Jayder’s hand in hers, adding, “I appreciate the work your father is doing here. It is long overdue. In my lifetime, I’ve met a handful of people at most who truly wish to know us. For you and your family, I am grateful to share all I know.”

At that Nariam looked out the window, before standing, “the sun is nearing its peak, we should finish up and you,” she gestured to Amira, “should head home and get ready. I’ll finish up.”

Amira got up and bowed to Nairam before turning to Jayder. Her mind went blank as to what to say or do. He gave her a warm smile, his eyes regarding her with a strange look Amira couldn’t quite figure out.

“I’ll see soon.  I’ll be walking with you to the temple,” he said.

“Ah, right…” Amira trailed off awkwardly. “Um…” She was scrambled for words before Nariam rescued her.

“Yes, we’ll be bringing everything over shortly. Now go!” Nariam light-heartedly shuffled Amira out the door, Jayder’s expression held the same as he followed her with his eyes.

Amira returned home to find her mother dressing her brother, all the while he squirmed and kept yelling “no”, his new favorite word.

“The bath is ready for you next. I have your clothes in their as well.”

Quickly, Amira ran to the back of the house, stripped and jumped into a tepid basin filled with water. She sat back for a moment and thought about Thad’s home and how they had a refresher, an odd contraption that was no bigger than her family’s shed. He had once explained to her how it worked but the whole idea of it seemed odd.

Her mind wondered to Jayder and the swimming hole yesterday, how he had looked under his clothes, and the look he gave her last night when they said goodbye. It was the same look he gave today when she left the Ysdurl’s. She was both excited and nervous to see him tonight at the festival. She still couldn’t pinpoint why she felt nervous. It was a different feeling than the nervous feeling she got before a test, or when she saw her father last night with that strange man.

 _The stranger…_ Amira has almost forgotten and now she felt the worry creeping back.

She took a deep breath and busied herself with drying off and braiding back her hair, trying to push the hostile man she’d seen last night from her mind. She made her way over to the bench where her clothes were laid out and was stopped short by what she saw. Next to her freshly dyed and pressed dress was a pair of slippers, except they weren’t the slippers she wore every year.

Unlike her old, scratchy ones that only had a few decorative threads and beads on them, the slippers before her were cobalt blue to match her dress, an off-white color creating a swirling pattern. Picking them up, she felt the luxury of fabric on her fingers and was enthralled by the sheen of it as she tilted the slipper in the light. The pattern had been embroidered in an intricate form, the small round beads were pearlescent and milky. Amira was unsure what to do. She’d never held anything this beautiful and delicate in her life. Surely these couldn’t be hers?

She finished changing and gingerly carrying the slippers found her mother in the main room.

“Are these mine?” Amira asked, holding up the slippers.

“A gift from your father,” she could hear something in her mother’s voice she couldn’t name though it matched her sour expression, “he bought a pair for all of us.”

Amira slowly looked down at her hands, afraid that the smallest movement would crush the beauty in them. How could her father have afforded these? Is this why he’d been staying late at work so much for the last year? Is this what her parents had been arguing about? Why would he buy new slippers when he needed a new speeder bike, the one he had now was so unreliable… Or when mother needed new shears for her herb cutting? She could think of so many things they needed but slippers weren’t one of them.

Was this her fault? Had she mentioned being embarrassed by her slippers? How the left one had a growing hole? Sure, she was jealous when Odala got new slippers last year, but she didn’t remember telling anyone. She swallowed the guilt that could only be hers.

“Wrap those up and help me with your brother, will you,” her mother’s voice brought her out of her thoughts.

Once wrapped and safely secured next to the other slippers in a basket, Amira took her brother’s hand and joined her mother outside. Neighbors had gathered since Amira returned home this morning, meeting up with familiar faces.

“Amira!”

Amira turned to see Jayder and Nariam making their way over, baskets stacked in a hover-cart that Nariam controlled. She noticed that Jayder was barefoot.

“You’re not wearing shoes?” Amira asked incredulously.

“I’m going to try not to. But Nariam tells me the walk to Lydis is rocky. I bought them just in case.”

“Are you two ready?” Nariam called, “Let’s go!”

 

* * *

 

They had made it out of the village and were now walking on the crest of a steep hill, either side of which dropped dramatically to a rocky valley. The Edonain Mountains grew ever closer as their hike’s elevation climbed higher and higher. Soon, they came to a lush valley that sat surrounded by tall peaks. There, the Sacred Grounds of Co’r would be waiting along with Lydis, the Grand Temple. Amira’s mother and Nariam were farther ahead, her brother strapped into the hover cart with the rest of their goods.

“Tell me about another planet,” Amira asked Jayder, who had fallen into step behind her.

“What kind of planet do you want to know about?”

“I don’t care! Maybe something you think that’s very different from mine?” Amira asked thoughtfully.

“Hmm… Well, there’s Kamino. It’s a planet made entirely of water.”

“Wow,” Amira said in awe, “I’ve never even seen the ocean here! That’s in Illtheria, the main district. My father says he’ll take us one day after his next work promotion.”

“Do you think you’ll travel off-planet one day?” Jayder asked.

“I don’t know, really. It sounds so exciting, your adventures. And I know there’s so much to see,” Amira stated, watching her step over a large rock.

“You should visit the Hosian System. That’s where the new galactic senate is. They have such beautiful landscapes there. They’re sometimes compared to those that were on Alderaan.”

They both went quiet. Jayder was the first to break the silence, “does anyone here ever talk about it?”

“My mother has told me her story. She and my father had just met and he took her to Illtheria for the day. They were on the shore having a picnic when it happened. She said Amerell is too far away to really see Alderaan, but if you knew where to look you could see a small shape in the sky. She happened to be looking at it when she saw it disappear. They had no idea what had happened until they went back through town and heard it on the holonet.”

“Apparently there’s a station in the asteroid field that acts as a home for the remaining survivors,” Jayder remarked.

Amira nodded, “Amerell stepped in and offered immediate citizenship to any survivors but some chose to stay in orbit.”

“The conflict might have had something to do with that…”

“Sure. I mean, Amerell was originally created as resort planet by the Alderaanians. That backfired once the locals discovered ambestine.”

“What about your people, what did they do after the discovery?”

Amira shrugged, “they tried to control the ownership. The Qui’als were the first here. Their argument was that because of that, the crystals were ours. But then the locals organized themselves and created a new government and won the rights. And we were overlooked. My mother tells me that’s how it has always been.”

“It makes sense why you don’t like outsiders then.”

“I feel like outsiders are what make life interesting. And you can learn from them,” Amira paused her hiking and looked over her shoulder at Jayder, “I didn’t know a lot of things before I met you.”

They smiled at each other for a moment before Amira turned back around. The path became wider and Jayder came around to walk beside her. She couldn’t help but notice how close he was. If she moved her hand, she could touch his… Amira swallowed, looking at the landscape around them.

“You don’t think like the others do,” Jayder remarked.

“My people are stubborn and prideful, I guess I’m not old enough to understand the issues around it.”

“But you’re curious. Most Qui’al’s seem content to keep to themselves.”

Amira kept to her thoughts. Jayder had a point. Her curiosity in school had caused some of her classmates to tease her, once she was pushed to the ground because she questioned why her people seemed to be so intolerant. She always had a hard time with herself when she constantly questioned why her people insisted on being withdrawn from the galaxy. She felt torn in so many ways. These were her people, her family, yet the way they thought didn’t always sit right with her.

“We’re here. The valley is over this hill,” Amira said, pointing ahead.

“Come on, let’s go catch up with everyone,” Jayder walked faster, leaving Amira in her thoughts.

 

* * *

 

Later, Amira wiped her forehead as she walked over to join Odala and Thad. They looked eager to leave the ceremony, their legs were still asleep from constant kneeling. The heat of the day was starting to die down as the sun disappeared behind the mountains.

“Come on, already!” Thad called over.

His face fell and Amira turned to see Jayder walking behind her. Thad scowled, a snark comment forming on his lips but before he could say anything Amira cut him off.

“Let’s go.” She must have used the right tone and look because she was met with silence. She wasn’t in the mood.

Odala didn’t look at Amira. Ever since the ceremony, she had been quiet with her and Amira knew why. She had seen her slippers. Odala didn’t try to hide her stares, she stared at them as if trying to calculate something.

By the time they made it to the base of the valley the festival was in full swing.

“I don’t know about you guys but I’m ready for some real food,” Thad exclaimed, his hands clasped behind his head. “Then we can play skipper’s knots. Bet I can beat all of you!”

Jayder waved to his parent’s before turning back to the others, locking eyes with Amira, “I’ll catch up with you later.”

“Okay,” was all Amira could think of to say.

She swallowed as she thought back to what he had whispered to her earlier while they were kneeling outside the temple waiting to go in.

“ _Meet me at the pond…”_ She wasn’t sure why he wanted her to meet him there but she got the feeling he didn’t ask anyone else.

Thad led the way through the festival, weaving around throngs of people until they found a group of classmates that Thad wanted to meet up with. Odala met Amira’s glance and she knew she had the same idea.

Odala clapped Thad on the shoulder, “Amira and I are going to go talk about girl things, we’ll be back later. And I want that stuffed tauntaun,” she pointed to the wall in a stall next to them. Thad smirked and nodded.

As they walked away Odala muttered, “that’ll keep him busy for awhile. He is terrible at juna…”

Amira snickered, “we should go get some rysh candies. I see the tent for it way down there,” she pointed as a large group of people shoved past them.

“Here, come on,” Odala grabbed Amira’s hand and led her away from the crowd, “we’ll cut through the backside, fewer people.”

A while later, munching on their newfound sweets, they made their way to the back of the stalls and found a large rock to sit on. A slight breeze rippled through the grass around them. The high walls of Lydis towered over the festival, the highest windows lit with flames.

Amira could see the question in Odala eyes, and she knew it was only a matter of time before she spoke, “so your new slippers are nice.”

Amira gulped down a mouthful, “Yeah, they are…”

“Did your dad say where he got the credits?” There was something hidden in Odala’s voice.

“No. I guess it was from all his hard work. He’s been working late for a long time now.”

Odala made a noise but didn’t say anything else. Amira felt the intensity in the air between them, as if Odala was holding back something.

“Look. Amira. I have to tell you-“ Odala began before halting her sentence. Amira followed Odala’s wide eyes as an unfamiliar sound hit her ears. It reminded her of her father’s speeder bike.

A black, V-shaped ship was flying over the mountains towards the Ollothan. The hum of its’ engine echoed in the cliffs around them before disappearing below the horizon line.

Amira felt her pulse quicken as her head suddenly felt too heavy for her body. She narrowed her eyes as the heaviness dissipated. A strange feeling of familiarity rushed over her. Bewildered she looked at Odala. Her amazement was reflected in Amira’s eyes. They had never seen a ship before.

“I wonder what a ship is doing way out here?” Amira wondered.

“I don’t know. What could possibly be past the Ollothan?” Odala whispered back.

“Let’s go find Thad and the others. They must of have seen it.” Odala abruptly said, taking off towards the festival.

Amira wanted to find out what she was about to tell her earlier but she decided to ask her later.

As they got up to leave, a loud, boisterous voice called behind them, “look boys, we found ourselves a Scath.”

Odala halted and Amira watched Odala’s face contort from shock to anger. She whipped around to face her accuser. Amira turned to see a group of boys older than them. She recognized the leader who had spoken; it was her neighbor’s oldest son, Holko, who never paid any attention to Amira or her friends. He was accompanied by two others who had congregated threateningly around him.

“What did you say?” Odala’s voice was frighteningly low.

Holko snickered to his friends before swaggering over, coming nose-to-nose with Odala.

“What does a scathed filth have any business being here for? You’re not even Qui’al. You don’t belong anywhere.” The boy whispered to Odala, towering over her.

Amira could see Odala trembling, and as Holko laughed and looked back behind him, she was clenching her fist. Before Amira could warn her not to, Odala let out a yell, charging the boy, throwing him to the ground. As he rolled to turn around, a sickening _thud_ was heard as Odala’s fist made contact with his cheek. The boy cried out, his friends coming to his aid, pulling Odala off of him, restraining her, while Holko stumbled to his feet, aiming a fist at her stomach. Amira ran forward, attempting to push him away. When he didn’t move, she mimicked Odala and threw a clumsy punch at his head. The contact caused an immediate pain to bloom in her wrist. He recovered quickly, and before Amira could move, his fist connected with her eye. She stumbled backward, yelping, clutching at her eye. She tried to throw another strained punch but Holko shoved her hard. She felt gravity pull her down fast, her head smacked into the ground as the air was knocked out of her lungs.

Stunned, she stared up at the sky. She could faintly hear Odala shouting profanities in between cries of pain. Amira managed to lift her head to see the two boys holding Odala down, while Holko straddled her waist, delivering punch after punch to her face and ribs. He paused, giving Odala enough time to spit blood in his face. He forced her head down, pinning it to the ground. He leaned over, speaking to Odala, but the ringing in Amira’s ears was too strong to make out the words.

Odala struggled as Amira saw Holko snake his hand under her shirt. She couldn’t figure out what was happening but Odala had suddenly gone still. The other boys were smirking. She could see a horror in Odala’s eyes and although Amira didn’t know why she knew she had to stop whatever was happening to her. She staggered to stand as the boys were distracted and with all her might she ran at Holko and flung her weight into him, throwing him off. She felt arms wrap around her chest as one of the other boys grabbed her, sending her sprawling, dirt flying into her mouth. She heard the boy’s heavy footsteps as he stopped short next to her, hovering. She shut her eyes as her body tightened, anticipating pain, but she heard a yelp. She looked up to see Jayder hurling the boy to the ground. He whirled around and with a heavy punch, the smallest boy fell, moaning on the ground, clutching his side. Holko had finally regained his composure and hit Jayder, causing his head to turn violently to the side.

“What is going on here?!” They all halted mid-action to look over as a group of adults approached.

Amira was about to respond before she felt a hand grab hers, forcing her feet to move fast. Odala held tight, yanking Amira as they ran back into the crowd. The lights seemed too bright for Amira’s eyes, the air too hot, the laughter and voices of the crowd too loud. As suddenly as the flood of activity began it stopped. Odala had taken them to the lake. The few people around didn’t bother to look as they moved out of the bushes.

Panting, Odala stared at the water, her mouth turned down. Amira could see her fighting tears. Amira’s right eye was swollen now, her vision narrow. A dull pulse of pain radiated over her face. Her limbs felt heavy. She wanted nothing more than sleep. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

Odala looked far worse. Her lip was cut. Her jaw had a nasty bruise blooming. The skin around her cheekbone was split open, blood that had run down her face was starting to crust as it dried. Odala kept her gaze on the water, silently refusing to meet Amira’s eyes.

“Where’d you run off to? I got your tauntaun, Odala.”

Amira looked over to see Thad approaching, thankfully alone. He stopped short, seeing Amira’s face.

“What happened to you? Fall onto a rock again?” He asked, trying to make a joke, but she could see he could sense something was wrong.

That was when he noticed Odala, still turned away, hunched over and clutching at her side.

“What… happened?” He started; when Odala didn’t answer he moved in front of her trying to see her face. She finally glanced up and Amira heard the sharp intake of a gasp from Thad.

“What the— Who did this to you?” He looked concerned as he put a hand on her shoulder.

Odala just looked away, silent. Thad jerked his head up to look at Amira. He moved quickly, coming over angrily, “who?!” He demanded, his face inches from Amira’s.  

“Holko. And some other boys.” Amira mumbled. She knew better than to keep Thad waiting when he was upset.

Thad walked around aimlessly, his hand ruffling his hair as he shook his head, trying to process it.

“I’m going to kill him.” The intensity of his voice scared Amira.

“Thad, you’re only going to make things wor—“ Amira tried to reply before Thad yelled in her face.

“Don’t. Just don’t. Just shut up.” Amira winced as drops of spittle hit her face.

Amira had seen Thad angry, but never like this. There was something feral in his eyes. A need that Amira didn’t understand. Odala finally moved and took his hand.

“Stop,” she whispered, her voice nearly floating away on the wind that rustled Amira’s disheveled braid.

Thad’s composure immediately relaxed. Odala turned to face him. Amira didn’t know why but she felt the need to give them privacy. She wondered over to the edge of the pond. The stars reflected off the water, calming Amira’s nerves until she felt numb.

“Hey,” the voice she heard seemed so far away, as if she was underwater, “you alright?”

She turned to see Jayder, unharmed, the only sign of his struggle was a few locks of hair out of place.

“Um, yeah, I guess.” She managed. Her bones ached. She was so tired. And to think they still had to walk all the way home…

“Let me see your eye,” She felt Jayder tilted her head up as he studied her eye, his touch too warm, his face too close, “it doesn't look as bad as it probably feels. You’ll have a nice black eye though. Here, come on. Let’s go find your parents. I’m sure they’ll want to take you home.”

Amira was too tired to even process what was happening as his hand slipped into hers, gently leading her away.

 

* * *

 

“She fell. On a rock?” Amira’s mother asked incredulously, “and you saw it?” She looked to Jayder.

“Yes. I’m happy I was there to help her. Nasty fall and all…” Jayder trailed off.

“I see. Well, thank you for helping her. I’ll get Nariam. She and her father are staying to help clean up. We’ll take Nariam’s cart back. And we can put you,” pointed to Amira, “in the cart with your brother.”

A short while later, Amira was cramped among baskets and her brother. The smooth movements of the cart lulled her to sleep.

She awoke as her mother stopped the cart in the back of their house. She felt her brother’s warmth leave her; she assumed her mother had taken Desaquin inside.

“Here, let me help you,” she felt Jayder take her hands, hauling her up, her feet felt clumsy as exhaustion took over her. She stumbled as she got off the cart, almost falling. Jayder kept her upright. She felt weightless as his arms wrap around, lifting her to his chest. He was so warm she couldn’t help but curl up against him, her head finding his neck. The next thing she knew was that she was carefully set down on her bed next to Desaquin and as much as she wanted to say goodbye to Jayder, she fell into unconsciousness once more.

 

* * *

 

_A fog. A shadow. A shape._

_Amira began to see as the haze lifted. Her mind was abruptly clear. She looked around and found nothing around her. She peered ahead to see the sole shape in front of her becoming more prominent._

_It was a boy._

_He was older. Maybe even older than Jayder by a year or two. Amira walked forward; the strange boy had noticed her. She stopped a few feet away. They studied one another._

_At first, she didn’t recognize him. Then she noted his dark hair that had grown much longer, falling around his pale face that was freckled with moles. He had grown nearly a foot taller than she had; his lanky frame swathed in layers of black fabric, hiding his skin.  What she recalled the most was his dark brown eyes that used to hold sadness and uncertainty. That uncertainty still lingered but the sadness had been replaced with something more menacing._

_She could feel him. The emotions that he never bothered to hide. His emotions felt like a volatile mix as if at any second they would explode. What were once feelings of hope and goodness were now sinister with something lurking beneath: a darkness that took her breath away._

_She had never remained in the dream this long. One of them had always disappeared before either could do or say anything. She hesitated before crossing the gap between them. Now as they stood closer, she could feel his darkness spreading, worming its way into her mind. She fought it, let her own emotions fight it. She could feel it reach him, feel the anger he felt because of it, though his face remained neutral._

_Amira wanted to know who this boy was. Why was he here? Why now? After so many years absent? She called to him, her voice echoing out, much louder than it seemed possible._

_Despite her voice, he remained the same, as if he didn’t hear her. She repeated. Still, nothing changed. She reached out a hand to grab his shoulder but her hand came short, hitting an invisible wall. She moved her hand up, down, and around. Still, the barrier held. She called out again, quieter this time. His brows furrowed. She realized he could see her lips moving but he couldn’t hear her._

_She felt a rush of his emotions fall over her. She felt lonely and hopelessly lost. A struggle she didn’t fully understand. The forces of this insufferable darkness and a… light? She could feel the light all around her. She pushed it, trying to rip him from the darkness that loomed. His anger sparked before the feelings of utter loss overcame him. His face contorted into anguish. She could see the fear in his eyes. His control was slipping and it terrified him._

_Amira’s loose, dark brown hair fell over her shoulder as she tried to communicate with her eyes that it was okay. She knew that he could feel her. He didn’t resist her this time. She felt a surrender and subtly, an acceptance._

_She held her hand up, her fingers slightly splayed, her palm placed firmly on the invisible barrier between them. She tried with all her might to communicate with him, that it would be okay. He looked down at her hand, and slowly he brought up his own, his fingertips touching the other side of the barrier where her hand would have been._

_Together they stood there like that, seeking solace in each other, strangers that understood one another…_

Amira moved and slowly opened her eyes. Sunlight was filtering in the room. Her brother and parents were absent. Judging by the height of the sun on the window she had slept in. She gazed at the beam of sunlight crossing the room, watching the particles lazily floating in it.

 _The boy…_  she closed her eyes, the dream lingering behind them, burned into her head like a memory. It had been years since she had seen the boy. He used to be happy and mischievous when the dreams had begun in Amira’s early years. Over time, the dreams became rarer. She remembered from the few she had that he seemed to grow taller each time and something in him changed.

At first, she thought he had acquired the subtle quietness of maturity, but then she could sense something was amiss with him. First, it had been fear, then it had slowly transformed into an anger that fed the dark thoughts that slowly seemed to be consuming him. The despair in his eyes still haunted her.  

“Finally awake, I see,” Amira snapped open her eyes, jumping at the sound of her mother’s voice, “are you hungry? I have some stew ready.”

Amira got up, and her head began to pound. She went to rub her eyes and flinched at the pain. Memories of the fight came back to her.

 _“…we found ourselves a Scath,”_ Holko’s malicious voice rang out in Amira’s thoughts.

The curtains were drawn and the room was bright, making her head hurt worse as she took a seat at the table. The room felt stifled by the heat. It was another hot day. Amira ate her chilled stew in silence, barely tasting it, deep in thought about yesterday’s events. When she set her bowl back on the table, her mother broke the silence.

“What really happened last night, Amira?”

Amira shuffled in her seat. She wanted to lie but she knew at this point it wouldn’t do her any good. Her mother saw right through her and Jayder’s feeble pretext.

“Some boys were picking on Odala and she got in a fight. I tried to help her…” Amira studied her hands, noticing a scab had formed where her knuckle had split.

“Did you know these boys?” Her mother interrogated.

Amira shook her head, not meeting her mother’s gaze.

“Amira…?” Her mother pressed.

“Only one of them. It was… Holko.”

Her mother sat back in her chair, “I’ll have to tell Odala’s parents. She doesn’t look too good. Holko’s parent’s need to know what their son has done.”

Amira played absentmindedly with her spoon.

“What does ‘scath’ mean?” Amira asked.

Her mother paused, like she was choosing her words, “there’s a criminal group in Nal’Com called the Scathed. We don’t hear much about them here in Pal’qui but in the larger districts they make the holonews quite a bit.”

“One of the boys called Odala a scath. Is she part of it?”

“No. Odala’s grandfather was an ex-scath. He came here to make a new life for himself. Your grandparents were good friends with him. I remember he used to give me sweets his wife would make,” her mother smiled lightly at the memory, “but our people and many other’s do not like the scathed. They steal and hurt people.”

“What happened to her grandfather?” Amira knew that Odala never got the chance to meet him, she only ever said that he had died when she was a baby.

Her mother’s face pinched, “one night, a group of angry Pal’qui boys attacked him.”

“So they… killed him?” Amira assessed quietly.

Her mother nodded, pausing before continuing, “yet another example of why I think our people’s closed-minded views do more harm than good. That’s why I’ve always tried to teach you to be open-minded to the differences in people.”

“I thought the other kids gave Odala funny looks and picked on her because she had light skin and hair,” Amira asked, peering down at her own dark olive arms, “but is it because of her family’s history?"

“Yes. Unfortunately, her family will never truly be a part of the Qui’al because of the prejudices that our people have. I thought that perhaps your generation could change that. Maybe if more children thought like you did our world would be a much better place. I’m proud you stand up for your friends when they need you,” her mother stood up, going to a cabinet in the corner, “speaking of which,” she came back with a bottle of dark green paste, “let’s take a look at that eye.”

 

* * *

 

The sun was nearly at its peak in the sky when Amira arrived on the Lorsen’s doorstep. Odala’s mother came to greet her at the door.

“You’re mother told me about what you said what happened last night. I appreciate the honesty. I couldn’t for the life of me get Odala to talk about it.”

“Is she here?” Amira asked.

“She’s out back.”

Amira found Odala in the middle of chopping wood.

“Hey.” Amira began, unsure of what to say.

Odala didn’t immediately respond, instead, she placed another log on top of an old stump. She swung her arms up and the ax came down hard on the wood.  _Chink_.

Odala still didn’t look at her as she placed another log, but she did mumble a greeting quietly.

“How are you?” Amira asked.

“How do you think?” Odala jerked her head up, her tone sharp.

Amira flinched.

Odala recovered quick, “I’m sorry. I’m just a little,” she brought the ax down, “ _emotional_.”

Amira opened her mouth to reply, but Odala cut her off, her eyes softening as she spoke, “thanks. For yesterday.”

“I knew you’d do the same for me. Only I wouldn’t be the one to throw the first punch…” Amira joked lightly.

Odala smirked, “yeah well, the kriff had it coming, didn’t he?”

Amira’s eyes widened at her cursing. They both started to laugh.

“Hey! Glad I found you two here!” Thad shouted as he ran over to them.

His eyes were bright with excitement. Odala leaned on her ax, “what’s up with you? You look like a school girl who just got kissed by her crush.”

“Shut it,” Thad fired back before running his mouth faster than Amira had seen him do in a long time, “me and Truk decided to try and track where that ship flew to last night. You are never going to believe what we found!”

Odala gave a dramatic sigh, “let me guess? You want us to go there.”

“Duh!” Thad exclaimed, “come on! Let’s go.”

“That’s like at least a two-hour walk, isn’t it? Hello!” Odala waved a hand at her body, “I’m a little sore.”

“I know, but I swear this will make everything better!” Thad was itching to move.

Odala rolled her eyes to Amira.

Amira shrugged, “Why not?”

Odala stuck a finger a Thad, “You have to help me put this wood away. Amira, I’ll tell my mom we’ll be gone for awhile. She can tell your mom if she starts wondering where you are.”

 

* * *

 

Amira’s feet ached as it seemed they had been walking forever through the Ollothan. Odala, ever the trooper, never once asked to stop for a break, though Amira had noticed she had slowed down a bit.

Right as Amira was about to ask Thad if they were going the right way, he halted, Odala cursing as she ran into him.

“Okay, so we’re basically here. Stick close to me and stay low and really quiet.” Thad said, dropping his voice to a whisper.

Amira felt a twinge in her stomach, “Are we not suppose to be seen?”

“Let’s just say we're not supposed to be here,” Thad said with a wicked grin.

Amira swallowed hard. She felt dizzy suddenly, her intuition kicking to life, screaming at her that this was clearly a bad idea. Thad saw her face and rolled his eyes.

“Come on already,” Thad shrugged, “Or you can just stay here and wait for us to get back and tell you all about it.”

Amira heard the mockery in his tone. She squared her shoulders, willing the voice inside her to go away, “No. I’m coming.”

They followed Thad as he suggested, low and quiet. The forest here was thick with ferns that came to Amira’s waist.

“Now, seriously, stay as low as you can. I’ll put my hand up when it’s time to stop. Hide in the ferns,” Thad whispered. As they continued forward, Amira picked up the distant echo of noises: people yelling at each other and the distinct sound of machines.

Thad threw up his hand and they all halted. Amira moved to crouch beside Odala. She moved the fern fronds aside and gasped at what she saw.

They were hiding at the top of a valley and down below the trees had been completely cleared for almost as far as Amira could see. The ground in the clearing had been stripped of all vegetation, the land like a brown scar. Several massive metal machines ripped at the earth as people ran back and forth, shuttling hovercrafts filled with chunks of rock to a pile nearly as tall as the machines. Temporary living spaces had been erected all around.

Amira noticed that many of the people working were thin and dirty. They were under supervision by others who stood close by, watching them work, large blaster guns in hand. She watched as a man collapsed trying to haul a large stone. One of the armed men went over and instead of helping the man to his feet he kicked him in the side, yelling at him.

“They’re using slave labor…” Odala whispered watching the same scene Amira was.

“But… that’s illegal, isn’t it?” Amira said, the disbelief of what see saw echoed in her voice.

Amira’s eye traveled to a group of identical soldiers marching together, their faces and bodies swallowed up by gleaming white armor that shone in the dingy landscape around them.

“Those are… Stormtroopers?!” Amira exclaimed rather loudly, causing the other two to shush her.

“They were here earlier when I found the place,” Thad explained, “there were more of them too. I wonder where the rest are…”

As if to answer his question they heard a low, mechanical voice in the near distance.

“Sector Three. Clear. Moving on to Sector Four.”

Amira froze as one of the troopers walked in front of them no more than three yards away. The trooper paused, adjusting his armor before heading the other direction.

“Okay, time to go. Now.” Thad said, his eyes wide with alarm.

“Follow me!” Odala said as she started to make her way through the undergrowth, making sure to stay low in the ferns.

Amira followed. No more than a few minutes went past and then they heard the undergrowth shuttering as more approached. This time there were three. Amira and the others froze in place. Amira desperately hoped the fern’s movement hadn’t given them away.

The troopers paused, one of them looking down at a device in their hands. The other troopers were already walking away before the other called out to them.

“Wait. The scanner is picking up something. Looks like lifeforms.”

“What? No way. Must be a glitch.” One trooper, a man by the sound of it, made his way back and yanked the scanner from the other’s hand, knocking it against his armor.

“That’s no glitch. Right. Spread out. Search the area.”

The three troopers split up and they all were heading in the direction where Amira and the other’s were hiding. Amira felt her pulse pounding in her head. She held her breath and didn’t dare move. She was helpless as one of the troopers walked right in front of her. She was thankful the ferns were so tall here and that the troopers seemed to be looking out instead of down. She was eye level with the trooper’s gun.

“I don’t see anything. Let’s keep going. Probably some of those damn creatures we saw last night again.”  The trooper said, the voice sounding feminine under the mechanical distortion.

As the trooper turned to walk away, Odala stepped back, snapping a branch in the process. The troopers all turned and Thad whispered, “run!”

Odala and Thad took off before Amira had a chance to gather what was happening. The troopers yelled out and one fired a few shots. Amira knew she wouldn’t be able to follow the same path. She took off in the other direction. Completely disorientated, she ran. She could hear a trooper behind her, yelling for her to halt. Blaster shots seared past her, connecting into tree trunks and undergrowth, causing grit to fly in her face.

She veered left and before she could stop herself she was tumbling down a steep ravine. Winded, she paused when she came to a stop, only to heave herself up as scorching bolts of plasma rained down around her. She saw a patch of thick bushes ahead and ducked as she tore her way into them, hoping desperately they would conceal her. The branches snagged at her clothing and her skin burned with scrapes. She felt a tug around her neck. She was stuck. She heard that awful mechanical voice ring out somewhere behind her. She had to move or else she’d be trapped. She felt a panicked cry rising in her throat as she gave one last tug. She was free. She ripped herself out of the bushes and took off, slipping on a patch of moss. She was certain she had lost them. She kept going, stealing a glance behind her, only to see a trooper making their way toward her. She whipped her head around and cried out as something smacked her in the face. Falling to the ground, her head ringing, a pain bloomed somewhere behind her eyes. She blinked, clearing her vision, only to find herself staring into the barrel of a blaster.

“Don’t move!” The trooper looming over her commanded.

She was caught.


End file.
